


Listen to Your Heart

by Casey_Wolfe



Category: Fast and the Furious Series
Genre: Alpha!Carter, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Canon, Angst, Community: quarter_mile, DEA!Brian, DEA!Rome, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mildly Dubious Consent, Omega!Brian, Romance, Translation Available
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-24
Updated: 2013-05-24
Packaged: 2017-12-12 21:10:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/816097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Casey_Wolfe/pseuds/Casey_Wolfe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brian’s an Omega and has gotten by for years taking suppressants to hide his true nature.  But when he’s sent undercover after Verone, he ends up going into heat, and the Alpha takes full advantage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Could be considered dub-con at the beginning. This is for the Cannonball Run Fic Fest on the [Quarter Mile](http://quarter-mile.livejournal.com/) LJ group. Thanks to Hellbells, MsWriter, and PixeQueen, for beta’ing and cheering me on. This was my first foray into the A/B/O-verse and it’s been one hell of a ride. I’m not sure that the prompter was expecting it to go in this direction, but, there you have it.
> 
> Now available in [Chinese](http://mtslash.org/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=92656&page=1&extra=#pid1695824). Warning that it's not finished being translated yet and haven't been in touch with the translator to know if they'll ever be finishing.

Brian was thrashing around in bed, the sheets tangling more around him and his limbs.  Sweat beaded on his face and body.  His face scrunched, muscles clenching.  He felt like he was burning up.  It would be unsettling in and of itself, but Brian recognized the sensations passing over him, and knew instantly he was in trouble.

_How can this be happening!?_ his mind screamed.  He could barely think straight, and the fever hadn’t even set in yet.  _The pills should be working!_ The suppressants he’d been taking for years now had been enough to stop this very thing from happening.  Of all times for it to fail, it just had to be in the middle of an undercover operation.

He was going into heat, and there was no way to hide it.  The problem was, he couldn’t lock himself away and hide until it was over either.  Or could he? 

As the sensations churning through his body settled into a dull, sated state, he sighed in relief.  Desperately, he reached for his cell phone, snagging it off the end stand.  He punched in his handler’s speed dial number, thumb hovering over the call button.

He ended up throwing the phone onto the bed in frustration.  Who was he kidding?  He knew what Markham would tell him without even going there.  _“Suck it up and get it done.  You’re already in and we don’t have time to get someone else close to Verone.”_   What else would he expect from an asshole of a Beta? 

“Just jealous of what you can’t have,” Brian grunted, running his hands over his face to get rid of the sweat.

It wasn’t as though a Beta couldn’t have their own Omega- it had been known to happen.  More likely or not though, it was an Alpha that snagged up the precious gems.  They weren’t as numerous as Betas, and were considered a prize, especially the rare _male_ Omega.

Hence the use of suppressants.  Brian had never much cared for being a piece of meat.  And that’s all he ever seemed to be when he would go into heat.  Every Alpha around would eye him, a lot had even tried to force themselves on him.  He never wanted to experience that again.

There was a knock on his door, pulling him from his thoughts.  He groaned in annoyance, somehow managing to drag himself out of the bed.  With only his sleep pants on, he opened the door, hissing as the sunlight hit his eyes.  “Brian, dude,” the visitor spoke.  “You a’ight?”

The blonde stepped aside, letting Rome come in.  “No.  I’m not,” he replied dryly, slamming the door behind him.  “I’m going into heat.”

Rome nodded, clearly catching the hints of it in the air.  “What are we gonna do?  We’re supposed to be at Pearl tonight.”

“I know.”  Brian grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, chugging it down half way before coming up for air.

“Call Markham.  Tell ‘em we can’t do it.  He’ll have to find someone else.”

“You and I both know that ain’t gonna end well.”

Rome snorted, but didn’t try to argue.  “Well, I’ll just have to go alone then.  You stay here.”

Brian shook his head.  “If we both don’t show, it’ll look suspicious.”

His old friend raised a brow, coming a little closer to him, but still keeping a comfortable distance away so he didn’t spook.  It wasn’t the first heat he’d been around Brian during- it just had been quite a long time.  That was the beauty of having a Beta as a best friend.  He wasn’t driven to try and jump him like Alphas were, and he was able to help him if need be.

“Need I remind you that Verone’s an _Alpha,_ ” he mentioned.

Brian groaned loudly, throwing his head back.  “Damnit.”  He really _had_ forgotten about that.  “I’m so fucking screwed.”

Rome huffed.  “Yeah, _literally_ if you decide to walk your ass in there tonight.”

Brian shot him a dirty look.  He finished off his water, tossing the bottle into the recycling bin.  “Actually…”  He scratched his neck absentmindedly as he thought.  “I might be alright.  I’m not in full heat yet.  If we can get in, get out, I can hide out here and wait things out.  Verone isn’t gonna have us do this run _immediately._ ”

“So you wanna go walk through a _club_ , filled with who knows _how many_ Alphas, to sit right next to an Alpha with _no_ conscious, while you’re ready to drop into full blown heat at any time?”  Rome gave him an even stare.  “Brilliant fuckin’ plan, brah.”

“What choice do I have?”  Brian threw his hands out.  “I’m an _Omega_ working as a cop!  The second I fuck something up, I’m gone!  You know damn well they look for _any_ excuse to get rid of us in law enforcement!” 

It was a sad stigma, but a true one.  It was thought Omegas made lousy cops due to their naturally submissive nature.  But then, there were Omegas like Brian who _weren’t_ submissive, even commanding respect.  Still, that didn’t change the stereotype he fought long and hard against.  If he screwed it up now, he was only giving them more fuel as to why Omegas shouldn’t be in his position, why they shouldn’t be allowed to pull undercover assignments that were more than just being a piece of ass.

“Alright, alright.”  Rom sighed, gesturing for him to calm down.  “We’ll do it your way.  But you don’t leave my side, y’hear?”

Brian nodded.  “No problems there.”  He held his stomach, feeling it gurgle.  He really should eat something, but it could potentially make him feel even worse.

Rome made the decision for him, starting to go through his cupboards to find something quick and lite to whip up.  When he’d finished shoveling food into him, he shoved another bottle of water in his hand, knowing he’d need it, and pushed him towards the bedroom.  “Go try and rest.  I’ll stay out here if you need me.”

The blonde managed to murmur his thanks.  He didn’t figure on being able to sleep, not with how hot he was feeling, or how his skin crawled.  He took his daily suppressant sourly before laying down, doubting it would do a damn thing at that point, but it didn’t hurt to try.  If he was lucky, perhaps it would delay his heat from beginning until after they got through the night.

Brian had never really been one for luck.

~ * ~ * ~

His sleep had been less rest and more tossing, but he felt a little better at least.  Brian dressed in jeans- the less skin showing, the better- a baggy tee, and a pair of steel-toed boots that could double as a deterrent if need be.  Rome lifted his head off the couch when he came out to the living room.  “Ready?”

He shrugged.  “As much as I’m gonna be.”

Rome stood, shaking his head ruefully.  “Maybe you should wear a hat too.  Cover those golden curls of yours.”  It was meant to come across teasing in order to make him feel better, but it didn’t. 

Brian just grunted, grabbing his wallet and keys and making for the door.  He fired up the Evo he’d been given for the op, its puke yellow color not something he would have picked, but the heart of the car was solid.  Driving through the busy Miami streets towards the club, Rome’s Spyder never left his rearview for a second.

Being stubborn as he was, Brian led the way, which Rome didn’t particularly mind, as it meant getting to watch his friend’s back for trouble.  Walking right past the line of patrons, the blonde ignored the people who turned to stare, stopping in front of the bouncers.  “We’re guests of Mr. Verone,” he said flatly, and the ropes instantly parted.

Brushing by them quickly, he made his way inside, Rome at his heels.  When they actually got in a few feet though, he stopped dead from the rush of smells that hit him.  “Ugh, damn!” he huffed, grabbing his forehead.  Another downside of going into heat was his heightened senses, all for the purpose of him hunting down a proper mate.

Rome put his hand on his back in a comforting gesture, but Brian wasn’t having any of it.  He pulled away, ending up bumping into someone.  Glancing over his shoulder, he muttered an apology.  Though he wished he hadn’t, as he could see the hungry look he was being given.  “No problem, baby,” the guy replied, grinning like a shark.

Brian growled at him before walking off, Rome next to him sending a glare back at the guy.  “Where’s Verone?” he questioned, just wanting to get the meeting done so he could leave.  The pair managed to spot the VIP area across the club.  Sure enough, Verone had also spotted them, waving his hand.  They nodded back, letting him know they had seen him.

Walking through the club ended up being more of an event than Brian had originally thought it would be.  He prodded Rome to go ahead of him in order to cut a path through the thicker sections of the crowd.  The blonde kept the icy cool he was known for, though just barely.  The leers and cat calls from the Alphas he passed- and even some Betas- were annoying, but ignorable.

They had gotten right outside the VIP section, where Brian thought he was home free.  Rome had stepped up to the ropes, greeting the pair of Beta bodyguards.  The blonde went to follow, only to feel someone grab his butt.

Brian growled viciously, reaching back and grabbing the man’s wrist.  In one fluid movement, he had the guy thrown off balance with a foot behind his knee, and slammed to the ground.  Baring his teeth, Brian loomed over him.  “ _Never_ touch me again!” he growled.  The Alpha only nodded, scooting away quickly. 

Brian snorted, a growl still playing on his lips as he entered the reserved section behind Rome.  It wasn’t until he heard Verone’s laughter that he snapped out of it, looking towards him in surprise.

“Now _that_ was entertaining,” Verone mentioned, grinning from ear to ear.  He looked between them, but settled easily on Brian.  “Glad you could make it.”  He shook Rome’s hand, motioning for him to have a seat. 

When he took Brian’s hand in greeting though, he held just a bit tighter, pulling him in a little.  There was a look of curiosity on his face as he leaned in, scenting the air.  “So,” he mused softly, a smiling spreading on his face, “it was you I smelled coming in.”

Brian shifted his weight, putting one foot back so less of his body was open to the other man.  It was a simple motion, but one that spoke quite a bit.  The blonde was guarding himself, letting the Alpha know exactly what he’d do if he tried anything he didn’t like.  As though the earlier display of force hadn’t been enough.

Verone clearly understood the message, motioning for Brian to take a seat opposite of Rome.  The criminal mastermind wandered back to the love seat in the middle, stretching out like a king on his throne.  He was loose and relaxed, a cool grin forming on his face.

“Well, business then,” he spoke.  “I’ve gotten you your window of time.  You’ll meet at the compound and drive with Roberto and Enrique to the pick-up and delivery locations.”  Rome went to speak, but a wave of Verone’s hand cut him off.  “Don’t bother asking what you’re hauling.  Just go where you’re told and you get paid.  Simple.”

“When do we drive?” Brian inquired, cool as could be.

Verone turned to him, cocking his head.  “Three days.”

Brian’s face twitched, and he looked over at Rome.  That wouldn’t be long enough for him to get through his heat.  Without mating it would be a week at least before he was through this.  Rome opened his mouth, clearly intending to protest, but the blonde beat him to it.  “Sounds like a plan.  See you then.”

He made to stand, but the Alpha’s slinking movements gave him pause.  He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, eyes trained on him.  Something in those grey-blue eyes made him instantly still, drawing him in, not letting him break that gaze.

“I want to talk to you a minute,” Verone mentioned, standing without breaking eye contact.  When Rome started to stand as well, the Alpha glanced at him.  “Alone.”

Rome looked to Brian as he stood, clearly not at ease with that idea.  The blonde, however, knew he didn’t have much of a choice.  He motioned for his friend to stay put, trailing after Verone down a back hallway.  He noted, whether for good or bad, that not even his bodyguards were following after them.

Verone motioned him into a room, which he found to be a private party space.  The door had barely clicked shut behind him when his hackles raised and he spun around.  The Alpha was right there, smirking.  “Good instincts,” he mused.  “I like that.”

Their eyes locked, and once again, Brian felt almost frozen in place.  “What do you want?” he managed, glad his voice came out calm and steady.

In an instant, Verone snagged his wrist, spinning them around and slamming him rather roughly against the wall.  He was pressing into his personal space, pinning him effectively.  Brian grunted, trying to push him off.  He was startled by the fact that the Alpha had moved so fast, having always seen him portray a more languid character.

Brian halted his struggling when the other man leaned in, scenting him again, deeper this time.  He made a pleased humming noise.  “You smell good,” he spoke casually, a huskiness forming in his throat.  He pulled away only enough to look him in the eye.  “So… you have an Alpha?”

The blonde’s head was shaking before he even had the thought to stop himself.  “And I ain’t lookin’,” he added with a bit of growl behind it.

“Sure about that?” Verone grinned, a glint in his eye.

Brian swallowed hard, starting to sweat.  What disturbed him the most though was that it wasn’t from nerves.  He could feel the warmth welling in his core, radiating outward.  His heat was on the cusp of starting to ramp up.  He needed to leave... now.

However, the Alpha in front of him wasn’t giving him a chance to escape.  This time, when he pressed him against the wall, Brian didn’t resist, if only because something in his gut was telling him not to.  His brain was screaming no, while his body was saying yes.

He felt Verone’s nose run along his neck, inhaling his scent.  The low, approving growl he let out went straight to the Omega’s core, making him melt.  “I can take care of you,” he rumbled, breath ghosting his neck.  Feeling the shiver going down his spine, Verone asked, “Would you like that?”

Brian found himself dipping his head into the curve of the Alpha’s neck, taking in his scent for the first time.  Sure, since they’d met he had had his scent, but not _really_ had it.  That took a much more... intimate position, which he now found himself in.  The blonde wanted to hate himself for liking what he smelt.

Verone smelled like fine leather, expensive cigars, and a somewhat spicy cologne.  Though, underneath that all was a deep, musky male scent that was purely _him._ Brian drank it all in, analyzing it, savoring it.  The fact that it was intoxicating should have been the first sign that he should be going the other way, but his mind had never been good at following directions.

Still, Brian made an attempt, pressing back against the Alpha to try and move away.  An arm came up to the wall at his side, blocking his way.  “If you really want to go, I won’t stop you...” Verone spoke.  “Though,” he continued with a smirk as Brian looked at him, “I don’t think you want to.”

The Omega’s sea blue eyes caught the other man’s briefly, though he shed away, not wanting to be caught under that spell again.  “I should get going,” he managed softly, pressing lightly on the Alpha’s arm.  Surprisingly, Verone dropped it without complaint, letting him get to the door.

As his hand fell to the doorknob though, Verone spoke up.  “Go where?  Back to an empty house?  So you can suffer through your heat... alone?”  Brian frowned.  He was aware of Verone’s careful approach and kept still.

The Alpha came up behind him, whispering in his ear.  “Come stay with me.”  He slipped an arm around his torso, fingers brushing lightly over his abdomen.  “I’ll take care of you,” he repeated.  Brian didn’t resist as Verone pulled him flush to his body, his free hand coming up to caress his cheek and jaw.

The bastard probably smelled it on him, that he was right at the tipping point.  That was the only explanation Brian could come up with.  Verone was just another Alpha looking to get laid, wanting to claim an Omega.  Well, Brian had no interest in either of those things.  Except, perhaps his body did.

Verone’s hand moved lower, hooking his thumb into his waistband, breath ghosting over his neck.  He nuzzled his shoulder, drawing his nose up along his neck and slipping around to his spine and settling into his hair, breathing deeply the whole way.  Another shiver passed down his back, and a soft sigh escaped his lips.  He could feel the other man grinning into his neck.

“So what do you say?” he asked lowly, placing soft kisses on the back of his neck.  “No strings attached.  And you can leave any time you want.”

So, Verone wasn’t planning to try and claim him, he only wanted to fuck his brains out.  Good to know.

“I don’t really play well with Alphas,” Brian replied, managing a growl behind it.  He knew his canines were visible as he craned his neck to see him, a warning.  “I’m not the submissive type.”

Verone’s lips pulled up into an equally intense look.  “Good.”

That caught Brian off-guard.  Practically every Alpha he knew had a penchant for power, Verone certainly being no exception.  That meant they also expected Betas and Omegas- _especially_ Omegas- to just bare their throats in submission whenever challenged on anything.  Brian didn’t play those games.  He was his own man- sure of himself in mind and body- and he wasn’t bothered showing it.

Giving the Alpha one last chance to forget what he’d asked him, Brian growled, pulling away.  Verone let him go easily enough, but he certainly wasn’t backing down- not that the blonde had expected him to.  In fact, Verone took the challenge, getting right up chest to chest with him.

“I’ll only ask one more time,” he spoke, barely holding back the growl in his throat.  “You can come home with me, or not.  Your choice.” 

Their noses were touching, and Brian inhaled sharply at the sensation.  The burning inside him was growing more intense by the moment.  It was those sensations he blamed when he ended up tilting his head ever so slightly and closing what little distance there was between them.

Their mouths crashed together, and Verone was growling in approval, backing him up the few steps to the door and pressing him against it.  Brian kissed back roughly, teeth nipping, tongue searching.  His arms wrapped around the Alpha’s neck, and he felt hands grab his hips, fingers splaying out to get a good hold on him.

The heat inside of him was bubbling up, starting to spill over.  The ache he hadn’t felt in the years he had been taking the pills wasn’t entirely unwelcome.  Verone picked up on the subtle change, growling again as he broke their kiss, going instead for Brian’s neck, nipping a few times before huskily saying, “We should get out of here before every Alpha in the place tries to drag you off.”

Brian was nodding as his brain was busy catching up.  When the brunette started to pull away, he caught the carnal desire in those blue-grey eyes and felt his breath hitch a moment.  Verone motioned with his head to follow, and the blonde was trailing easily behind.  Not because he was following orders- no, not at all- but because he recognized the immediate need to leave.

Returning back to the VIP section, he noticed Rome visibly sigh in relief.  “Ya’ight?” he murmured to him as he stood up.  Brian only nodded, noticing how Verone was whispering something to one of his Betas- Enrique was it?- and the man nodded obediently.

Verone turned to the pair.  “Roberto and Enrique will walk you two out.”  His eyes lingered on Brian a moment before he returned to the back of the club.

As they followed one bodyguard, the other brought up the rear, clearly there to make sure no Alphas decided to jump Brian’s bones without permission- a nice gesture considering the circumstances.  Rome looked at him sideways.  “What the hell was that all about, brah?”

“Nothin’ man,” Brian replied coolly.  “Don’t worry about it.”

Rome looked at him skeptically.  “That was sure a long time to be gone for _nothin’_.”

“Alright, so maybe he was tryin’ to get in my pants,” Brian snapped back.  “Happy now?”

His friend scented the air near him briefly before replying.  “Well, being that it smells like he didn’t succeed, I’ll go with yes.”

When they got outside, Brian felt a hand on his shoulder.  Roberto leaned forward to whisper in his ear.  “Verone says to meet him at the compound.”

Brian only nodded to show he heard before following Rome to their cars.  “Yo, cuz,” the blonde said.  “I’ll see you in a few days, alright?”

His friend narrowed his eyes on him.  “Uh, pretty sure I’m gonna be sleepin’ on your couch, so…”

“Well, you can if you want, but I’ve gotta go see someone to take care of this.  Unless you feel like driving solo.”

“And who the fuck are you gonna go see?” he asked suspiciously.

“I know this Alpha,” he replied cryptically.  When he was still receiving the stink eye, he sighed in exasperation.  “Look, I’m desperate, alright?  So you can stop givin’ me that look.”

They had reached their cars, and Rome paused at his door.  “You call me if something happens, y’hear me?”  Brian nodded, getting into the Evo. 

He watched as Rome drove off before doing as he was instructed, spinning the car around to head towards the compound.  He’d only been there once, the day they had “tried out” for Verone’s little job.  He shifted gears, thinking about what he was getting himself into. 

An Alpha had invited him home, an Alpha that also happened to be one of the most wanted men in Miami.  So why was he actually agreeing to this?  He’d told Rome he didn’t have much choice, well, that was true enough.  He certainly couldn’t drive in full-blown, rutting heat.  Only having sex when he started his cycle would calm the fire inside.

That was it.  He needed to do this for the op, no other reason.  As the twisting fire in his gut started to swirl and continue growing, making his body temperature rise, he pushed back the other feelings.  The ones that were telling him that he found himself intrigued by the Alpha, maybe even attracted to him.

As he pulled up to the gate, the guard waved him through.  When he reached the turn-around of the drive, he noted the Navigator, which had apparently only arrived a bit before him.  Verone was standing beside it, waiting for him.

As Brian walked to join him, he overheard Verone telling his Betas that everyone had to stay clear of inside the mansion for the next few days.  No one, not even the bodyguards, were allowed in, for anything.  It was a bit of overkill in Brian’s opinion.  Clearly though, the Alpha wasn’t taking any chances with him- what with the pheromones practically oozing out of him at that point.

Brian didn’t even have an opportunity to say hello before he was being motioned to follow.  It wasn’t until they got inside that Verone spoke.  “You’ll be safe here,” he mentioned.  The Omega gave himself a moment to doubt that, knowing that the man speaking to him now was probably more of a worry than any of his staff could be.

He didn’t say a word though, following him into the kitchen where Verone pressed a couple bottles of water into his hands and took a few himself.  “You have to keep hydrated, right?” he explained, in response to Brian’s questioning gaze.  The blonde was actually surprised by that level of thought and- dare he think it?- care that it showed.

Wordlessly he trailed behind Verone, up the stairs to the first door.  Following him in, he found it was a rather luxurious bedroom.  The Alpha set down the water on a nightstand.  “You can sleep in here,” he spoke casually.  He looked up at him.  “My rooms down at the end if you need anything.”

So, the Alpha wasn’t going to keep him close?  He was being given his space?  Now _that_ was certainly surprising.  “Umm, thanks,” Brian replied lamely, unsure what else to say.

Verone approached him, sniffing towards him a couple times.  “Get some rest,” he spoke, the “ _while you still can”_ not needing to be said.  The Alpha slipped out, closing the door behind him, leaving Brian alone to wonder what had just happened.


	2. Chapter 2

His body was on fire.  That was the first thing he noticed as he woke up in the middle of the night.  He was dripping in sweat, feeling as though he wanted to rip his skin off.  Kicking the sheets away did nothing to help the burning sensation radiating to every point in his body.

He hissed in pain, back arching off the bed as he began to pant.  Was it always so intense?  Brian swore his heats had never felt quite like this before.  He whimpered, not able to continue his thoughts.  His muscles tightened, and he grit his teeth to keep from screaming.

The bedroom door opened, and Brian’s head turned to make out the silhouette in the doorway, backlit by the hall light.  Even in the darkness, his eyes adjusted to make out Verone.  His jaw was slack, his eyes flickering distress.  His hands were holding onto the door and its frame in a vice-like grip.

“I could… smell you… down the hall,” he managed, chest heaving.  He was struggling to remain controlled, staying in the doorway as though seeking permission.

Brian whimpered, apparently giving him all the authorization needed.  Verone was on him in an instant, hovering above him.  His eyes were darting over his body, hand falling on his forehead.  “Damn,” the Alpha muttered.  “I’m gonna help you, alright Brian?  Just do what I say, ok?”

The blonde nodded frantically, toes curling, fingers digging into the sheets.  He whined, “ _Please,_ make it stop.”

Verone nodded, starting to strip him down first.  There was no relief from the burning though.  Despite the breeze from the open window caressing his skin, he still felt like he was melting.  As the Alpha removed his own clothes he was attempting to comfort him.  “I’ll be as gentle as I can, alright?”

As his hands laid onto Brian’s hips, the fire grew, causing him to cry out.  Verone made shushing sounds, quickly setting to work while he tried to keep the Omega as calm as possible- a hard feat when you felt like dying.

He was barely aware of Verone’s quick attempts to prep him, not that he really needed to with how intense his heat was.  His body was screaming for more than just the Alpha’s fingers.  Brian whimpered again, throwing his head back.

Reacting to his pain, the Alpha immediately pulled Brian up to him, ignoring the pathetic attempt at a growl he gave due to the heightened heat at their contact.  He prodded the blonde to turn onto his hands and knees, steadying as he went.

Verone didn’t waste any more time, barely able to control his own urges, and knowing Brian was suffering.  In one fluid motion, he sank himself into the Omega’s warm heat, groaning at the sensation.  Brian’s growl turned into a moan of his own.

After a few thrusts, Brian noticed his body cooling.  He sighed as most of the pain seemed to fade.  Catching his muscles relaxing, Verone ran one of his hands along the blonde’s spine, growling in approval as his body came up to meet his hand.  The hand on Brian’s hip was flexing, rubbing firmly, but comfortingly.

Knowing Brian wasn’t in such immediate distress anymore, Verone laid down onto the Omega’s back.  His mouth trailed kisses on his shoulder and neck, before sinking his teeth into the soft skin at the nape of his neck.  Brian growled, pushing back against him, but it turned into a moan of pleasure.

Deciding not to fight it, Brian let the Alpha take the lead, clearly having more experience in this particular department than him.  He found himself arching back into Verone greedily, wanting to feel more.  Brian groaned louder, throwing his head back against the Alpha’s shoulder as he obliged, plunging deeper into him.

He gave himself over to the feelings, letting instinct lead him.  With Verone’s head next to his, he craned his neck around to bite the Alpha’s jaw, receiving a growl in return.  He felt the fingers digging into his hips as Verone thrusted harder.

Brian had to let go of his hold, moaning loudly as the Alpha brushed his prostate.  His heat made the already intense sensation even more explosive, his eyes rolling back in his head.  Verone’s hand snaked down, grabbing ahold of his erection, which had the Omega backing into him more.

Brian cried out, coming in the Alpha’s hand.  His muscles clamped down, pulling Verone over the edge with him.  His moan turned into a full blown howl, Brian answering without even thinking.  He was too blissed out for rational thought, running on base instincts.

As he inhaled deeply, he could smell their union when Verone pulled away.  A small whine escaped him with the sudden lack of contact and he collapsed onto the bed.  He could hear the Alpha matching his breathing, hovering there above him for a minute or so before getting up to walk to the bathroom.

If Brian was in any state to be thinking about things, he would have put some serious thought into who the hell had an on suite bath for a _guest bedroom._ As it was, he could have cared less, lying there on his stomach, feeling completely sated.  He barely registered it when Verone came back, cleaning them both off before tossing the towel to the floor.

The blonde had expected the Alpha to retreat back to his own room.  Instead, he slipped into bed next to him, nose nuzzling at his shoulder.  With a sleepy hum of approval, Brian tossed his arm over the man’s waist.  Verone didn’t even hesitate, slipping his arm around his hip and pulling him closer.  Right before drifting to sleep, Brian laid his head against the Alpha’s shoulder and felt a soft kiss on his head.

~ * ~ * ~

Brian woke with the sun angled in his face through the window.  He rolled over and stretched, feeling his sore muscles loosening.  It took him a few minutes to remember where he was, and why.  Looking around, he observed Verone was nowhere to be found.

Sitting up, he noticed he had on a pair of sleep pants, and there was a big tee sitting out on the dresser.  After hitting the bathroom, he wandered over and slipped the shirt on.  Verone’s scent hit him, pulling a smile from his lips.  Why did smelling the Alpha make him feel so at ease?

He opened the door, noting how it had been left cracked open, and scented the air as he peeked out.  What he smelled had him salivating.  Breakfast.  He hurried down the stairs, following the delicious smell through the living room, into the large kitchen.

Verone was standing at the stove, working on a mess of eggs, bacon, and sausage, in just pajama pants and a tee-shirt.  He looked over his shoulder hearing him enter, smiling when he saw his mouth hanging open.  “You’re up,” he greeted.  He motioned for him to sit at the island, going over to the fridge and pouring him a glass of orange juice.  “Drink up.  It’ll do you good.”

Brian nodded, taking a large drink, eyes never straying from the Alpha.  The brunette was smiling at him, but then narrowed his eyes in concern.  As he was setting the glass down on the granite surface, Verone leaned over and felt his forehead with the back of his hand.  “You feeling alright?”  When the blonde nodded, he smiled and pulled away.  “Good.”

He went back to the stove, starting to put food onto a couple plates.  “Now, let’s shovel some food in you,” he mentioned, putting a large plate in front of him.  He sat down next to him, beginning to eat himself.  When he noticed Brian wasn’t doing the same, he asked, “Something wrong?”

Brian shook his head, snapping out of it.  “Sorry, I just… wasn’t expecting you to make me food.”

Verone smirked.  “You’ll recall I mentioned ‘taking care of you’ in my offer last night.”  He crunched down on a piece of bacon.  “Eat.”

Brian started to eat, realizing just how much his body needed to recharge after such an intense first cycle.  He still couldn’t help being amazed.  He had honestly figured that offer had been completely sexual in nature.  “Still wasn’t expectin’ this.”

Verone looked at him critically.  “Haven’t you ever been with an Alpha before?”

He shrugged.  “One.  But, uhh, never during a heat.”  Brian moved some scrambled eggs around the plate, feeling Verone’s eyes on him.

“So, this is all new to you?”  He asked it more rhetorically, but Brian nodded anyway.  After a few moments of eating in silence, he ventured, “What happened with the Alpha?”

Brian’s nostrils flared a moment, the only indication of his distress.  “It ended... badly.”

“How bad?”

“Bloody.”  Brian could still remember it like it was yesterday.  “I was going into my first heat since we started seeing each other.”  There was a growl forming at the back of his throat.  “Apparently he had a hard time with the meaning of the word ‘no.’  Only dated Betas after that.”

The Omega recalled the way he’d been pounced, clothing being torn.  Brian had lashed out, nails digging into any body part he connected with, teeth ripping into his shoulder.  The Alpha’s howl of pain was echoing in his ears when he felt Verone’s hand on his.

Brian looked up, meeting his cool eyes- which he noted looked more grey than blue that day.  He didn’t say anything, just gave his hand a comforting little squeeze before pulling it back.  The blonde strangled the whine that wanted to leave his throat at the loss of contact.

Back to eating, Brian couldn’t help his own curiosity.  “So, you’ve been with Omegas before.”

“One,” he replied, which Brian didn’t bother hiding his surprise at.  The blonde supposed he was expecting an Alpha- especially one like Verone- to have had a lot more Omegas in their time.  “We went through a few heats together before we decided we didn’t really…”  He trailed off, shrugging.

“Wasn’t the one you wanted to claim,” Brian guessed.

“There wasn’t really much there,” he answered.  “They always say you’re supposed to know.”  He huffed, laughing a bit.

“That _is_ what they say.”  The corner of his mouth turned up.  “Haven’t exactly been lookin’ to get claimed.  So I wouldn’t know.”

Verone looked at him carefully.  Whatever he was thinking though, he decided to shake it off, in favor of changing the topic.  “Well, since I seem to be the only one with experience in this department, you’ll be glad to know that the first cycle is the worst.  It’ll only get easier for you from here on out.”

Brian chuckled.  “Good.  I don’t particularly enjoy the feeling of my skin tryin’ to be burnt off.”  As he munched on a piece of bacon, he tilted his head.  “Though, I don’t remember my heats ever being this… intense.”  He shrugged.  “But then again, it’s been so long.”

“You were taking suppressants?” he guessed.

“Still am.  Some reason they didn’t work this time.”  He grunted.  “It’s been years since I’ve gone into heat.”  Since his fight with the Alpha, in fact.  After getting patched up, he told the emergency room doctor to put him on suppressants.  He would _never_ let another Alpha get the jump on him again.

“Thanks for breakfast, Verone,” he mentioned, having cleaned his plate.

The Alpha raised a brow at him.  “Verone?  I kind of think we crossed the formality of last names last night.”  He chuckled, Brian smirking back before looking at the counter.

“Yeah, guess you’re right about that.”  He hesitated a moment before adding, “Carter.”

From the corner of his eye, he noticed the Alpha smile before looking away out the large kitchen window.  Being distracted, the blonde reached over, snatching a piece of bacon from his plate.  “Hey!” he protested, as Brian popped the one end into his mouth, smiling around it.

The Alpha leaned over, grabbing the other end in his teeth, trying not to give away his own amusement.  As he went to pull back, Brian reached out, grabbing his collar to hold him in place.  The blonde broke the bacon in half, munching on his piece with a smirk.  Carter tried not to laugh as he ate his half.

“If you really want more…” he offered, but Brian shook his head.  The Omega hesitated, wetting his lower lip.  His body was trying to get him to do something, though he wasn’t sure what.  He forced his brain into control, letting go of Carter and sitting back down.

The Alpha frowned a moment, but then snatched up the plates.  “Finish your juice,” he mentioned, turning away to put the dishes in the sink.  “And then get upstairs to sleep more while you’re able.”

Brian did as he was told, draining the glass.  He was tempted to ask if Carter was going to be joining him, but thought better of it.  Despite what the Alpha had said, he wasn’t babysitting him.  It was about the sex, nothing more.

He trailed after Carter.  “I’ll be down here if you need me,” he mentioned, going to sit on one of the plush couches.  Brian suddenly felt completely rejected, and he had no idea why.  He grunted a reply, heading for the stairs.

As he was walking through the house, he swayed, catching himself against the wall.  “What the fuck?” he muttered, pushing himself back on his feet.  He felt light headed all of a sudden, and then a warm feeling started to bubble up.  “Not already,” he groaned in frustration.

He made it to the stairs, grasping onto the handrail as beads of sweat started to break out on his forehead and neck.  As he started breathing heavier through his mouth, he still managed to hear the incoming Alpha as he skidded around the corner.

“Brian,” he spoke with concern, coming up next to him and reaching out to support him.

“I got it,” he insisted, starting to go up the stairs.  Then it hit him like a shot, causing him to double over.  His hands hit the stairs, and he gave a feeble attempt at trying to continue the climb.

The Alpha growled, latching onto him tightly and sweeping him up.  The quick movement made Brian’s head spin, lolling onto Carter’s shoulder.  He was being carried bridal style up the stairs.  The blonde buried his face into Carter’s neck, whimpering as the pain started to come back- not as intensely as the night before, but still agonizing.

“Hold on,” Carter attempted to sooth, pushing into Brian’s room. 

He laid the Omega on the bed, trying to pull away a moment, but the blonde didn’t let go, digging his nails in as he cried out again.  The Alpha whined, pushing his nose into Brian’s neck and nuzzling as he moved to straddle him, pressing in close, the need to comfort outweighing anything else.

“I have to get your clothes off,” he spoke into his neck, “if I’m going to help you.”  Brian nodded rapidly, understanding.  It took a moment for him to get his fingers to release their grip on Carter.  The Alpha wasted no time once he was free, stripping them both.

Not bothering to move him from his back, Carter slipped two fingers into his entrance.  Brian hissed at the sudden intrusion, but his body adjusted almost instantly.  The Alpha found him to be more than prepped, his cycle having the Omega ready and waiting for him.

Sliding himself inside, Carter moaned quietly at the amount of heat surrounding him.  Brian arched up, whining, the Alpha’s hand gently pushing on his chest.  “It’s alright,” he soothed.  “Let it subside.”

Brian whined again, but followed the instructions.  Carter slowly began to move, waiting for the Omega’s body to react in a more positive way.  And react it did.

No sooner did the blonde’s muscles relax than he was moaning deeply.  Carter’s instincts kicked in and he moved deeper into him.  He placed a hand on either side of Brian’s torso, practically lying on top of him as their lips crashed together.

Brian kissed him hungrily, one hand threading into his dark curls, the other scratching the Alpha’s back.  Carter nudged the blonde’s legs even further apart, thrusting as deeply as possible, feeding off the pleasured noises the Omega was making.

Like the night before, it didn’t take long for either of them to slip to the verge of control.  Carter panted into his ear, barely able to contain it anymore, but he didn’t want to hit his peak without the blonde.  “Come for me, Brian,” he huskily breathed.

Something ticked over in the Omega’s brain, pushing him over the edge immediately, pulling Carter right over with him.  Brian’s nails dug into his flesh as he cried out, head thrown back against the pillows.  The Alpha stayed hovered over him, breathing heavily.

Carter moaned approvingly, nuzzling into Brian’s neck.  He placed a couple gentle kisses there, fingers running along the Omega’s sides, causing a contented sigh to fall from the blonde’s lips.  “You alright?” the Alpha inquired.

Brian made a humming sound in reply, rubbing his cheek up against Carter’s as he settled onto the bed.  When the Alpha laid down beside him, he didn’t waste any time curling around him.  His head was lying on Carter’s chest, the other man’s arm wrapped protectively around his shoulders.

The blonde smiled softly, hearing Carter’s steady heartbeat, and getting the overwhelming scent of him filling his nose.  It lulled him into sleep, feeling completely contented.

~ * ~ * ~

The morning light once again awoke Brian from his peaceful slumber.  The pair hadn’t left the bedroom since their afternoon romp.  When he’d woken in the night to another cycle- one tamed down as Carter had said they would- he was surprised to find the Alpha hadn’t left his side.

Just like then, as he stretched out now, he noticed Carter lying beside him on his back, a hand reached out holding onto a hip.  The Alpha grabbed onto him harder, feeling the movement, growling a bit.  He rolled over, arm flopping down around his torso and pulling him closer.  It was a possessive gesture, but Brian only chuckled softly, not seeming to mind.

He nuzzled against the Alpha’s jaw, causing him to stir more.  “Five more minutes,” he grumbled.

The Omega laughed, not helping but thinking it was endearing to see this side of the other man.  “I’m hungry,” he replied.

Carter opened one eye, practically all grey in color.  “You would be.”  He yawned, stretching while never letting go of Brian completely.  “Alright, alright.”  He leaned in, nuzzling his jaw and neck a bit before rolling out of bed.

As he was pulling on a pair of sweats and a tight-fitting tee, Brian asked, “Do you have swim trunks I can borrow?”

Nodding towards the dresser he replied, “Yeah, should be some spares in there.”  Wasting no time, the blonde starting searching, hitting pay dirt with a pair of shorts.  Carter came behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist and setting his chin on his shoulder.  “Y’know, you should be saving your energy.”

“I know.  I’ll just kindda laze about.  Promise.”  Carter nodded in acceptance and the blonde followed him downstairs. 

They parted in the living room, the Alpha saying he’d call out when food was ready.  Brian slipped out the back doors, bounding straight for the pool.  He knew what he told the Alpha, but he’d blame his good mood for taking the running leap into the water.

After paddling around a bit, he decided it was best if he just relaxed.  He started floating on his back, closing his eyes, a smile drifting easily onto his lips.  When the smell of food drifted out the windows, his smile grew and he licked his lips.  Carter was being so good to him.

That thought gave him pause.  Carter Verone, drug lord, criminal mastermind, known asshole extraordinaire, was not only being nice to him, he was taking care of him.  Hell, he was even being _affectionate_.

He wasn’t able to think on it long, as another smell drifted to him.  He stiffened immediately, scenting an Alpha.  The man was coming up the back walk, looking towards Brian.  The blonde stood in the pool, gazing back coolly.  “Verone here?” the guy questioned.

“Yeah, inside,” he replied.  As the Alpha went to walk away, he added, “But no one’s allowed in.”

The guy barked a laugh.  “Yeah, alright.”  He completely ignored Brian, starting to head for the house.

Brian, never one to back down, hurriedly climbed out at the edge of the pool, stalking after him.  He growled, grabbing his shoulder.  “I said no one is allowed in.”

The Alpha growled, spinning back around on him.  He had his canines bared, until he caught Brian’s scent.  Then his eyes changed, and the blonde knew that look immediately.

His heart stopped momentarily, taking a step back.  Brian snarled, his lips pulled up in warning.  “ _Back_ _off_.”

The Alpha completely ignored it, lunging straight for him.  Brian yelped, hitting the concrete hard.  But then he howled, snarling and snapping at the body over top of him.

Like a storm at sea, Carter appeared in a blink, a growl that was more like a roar leaving his lips as he threw the other Alpha away.  Brian looked up in surprise, seeing the brunette between them protectively.  His bristled stance as Brian’s shield screamed one word… _mine._

Verone lunged at the other Alpha, grabbing him by the neck and actually picking him off the ground.  “Give me one reason not to rip your god damn throat out!” he snarled, squeezing off the other’s air.  The man clawed at Carter’s hand, trying desperately to squirm away.

By then, his two Beta bodyguards had appeared, hurrying to their boss’ defense.  The Alpha growled, literally chucking his associate away, who tumbled a few times.  With barely contained rage, he growled out, “You have a five minute head start.”

Apparently believing him, the Alpha scampered away, heading back for his car.  Carter watched him go, eyes blazing.  His nostrils flared, eyes snapping to his bodyguards.  “Catch him.  Kill him.”  Roberto and Enrique nodded, immediately heading for the garage.  He called after them, “And then we can talk about how someone was let into the compound!”

Carter fumed some more, before his eyes shifted to Brian, who was still lying on the ground in shock, holding himself up on his elbows.  Immediately, the Alpha was hovering above him, eyes darting over his body in concern.  “You alright?  Where’d he touch you?”

His nose was running along his neck, scenting him, as his hands traveled his form.  The Omega whined as he brushed a spot on his shoulder that was bound to bruise.  Carter growled, nuzzling into his neck.  He blanched at the scent of someone else on Brian’s skin.

The Alpha pulled him up, wrapping him into his arms as he continued to nuzzle him.  His brain was screaming to mark, to wash away the scent of anyone else.  That was how Brian ended up being scooped up and carried back inside, not complaining in the least.

He wrapped his arms around Carter’s neck, burrowing his face in and whimpering.  He wasn’t in pain- physically at least- but he had been thrown for a loop.  He had felt completely helpless, like that night with his Alpha boyfriend all over again.  This time though, Carter had been there.

Feeling him start to shake, Carter held him tighter.  “Shh, I’ve got you Brian.  You’re safe.”

He heard them enter a room and peeked out, noting that it wasn’t his.  As Carter laid him on the bed, the Alpha’s scent enveloped him and he practically purred in response.  They were in the master suite, and it was obvious why they were there.  It was the place with the strongest scent of Alpha in it, where Carter could reclaim his scent on Brian.

The Omega let Carter straddle him, practically squashing him into the mattress.  He didn’t mind though, letting the Alpha continue his ministrations, nuzzling him, licking, and nipping.  Carter was set on marking every inch of him, leaving no trace of anyone else left behind.

Brian moaned, feeling the familiar stirring of heat inside him, but it wasn’t painful at all.  It was a warm, tingling feeling, every sensation being enhanced.  Smelling the change in the air, Carter’s hands went to the waist band of his wet trunks, sliding him out of them.

“Are you in pain?” he asked, trailing kisses on his collar bone.  When Brian shook his head, he nibbled lightly.  “Good.  We can take our time then.”

Carter placed kisses along his chest and stomach as he went down his body.  Brian squirmed, whimpering a little.  “Relax, Brian,” he murmured.  “I’ll take care of you.”  With that, he took all of the Omega’s erection in his mouth, eliciting a moan from him.

Brian threw his head back, groaning as Carter sucked.  When he added teeth, the blonde gasped, arching his back up.  The Alpha wasn’t having any of it though, pressing Brian’s hips onto the bed as he continued to swirl his tongue in a way that had the Omega whimpering.

“Mmm, Carter,” he moaned.  “ _Please._ More.”  The Alpha obliged, slipping two fingers into him slowly.  He growled, hearing the pleasured sounds the Omega was making.  He knew that wasn’t going to satisfy him for long though.

Pulling away to slip out of his clothes, Brian whimpered at the loss of contact.  Tossing the clothing aside, Carter crawled on top of the blonde, making soothing sounds and whispering into his ear as he nuzzled his cheek.  The heat grew inside Brian, drawing a groan out of him as the friction was restored.

The Alpha smiled, a throaty growl coming out.  Without the need to rush into things to relieve his pain, he was going to show Brian a slower, gentler time.  He wanted the Omega to feel every sensation, savor every moment.  Those were his thoughts as he slid inside him, relishing the pleasured growls in response.


	3. Chapter 3

After cleaning up, Brian found he wasn’t so exhausted from their love-making this time.  He figured it had a lot to do with his cycle not being so intense, though perhaps just as much with Carter’s slow and sensual pace.  He nuzzled into said man’s hair as he was sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling softly.  As much as he really just wanted to lay in bed and cuddle- surrounded by their combined scent- he was well past being hungry.

Carter chuckled, hearing his stomach gurgle.  “I guess that means I should finish cooking, hm?”

Brian nodded.  “Yes, please.”

“Alright, Bri,” he replied, turning his head to steal a quick kiss before getting up.  The blonde followed close behind, only a pair of pajama bottoms on.

He scented the air when they got in the kitchen.  “Ground beef?”

“I was making stuff for tacos,” he replied, and Brian noted all the things still set out, and the half cooked ground beef in a skillet on the stove.  He guessed that the brunette must have shut everything off when he heard his howl.

“Thank you,” Brian mentioned quietly, not looking at him.  “For earlier.”

Carter stepped into his space, slipping an arm around his waist, and the other hand coming up to turn his head so their eyes met.  “I won’t let _anyone_ hurt you,” he spoke sincerely.  “No Alpha’s going to touch you, like that last asshole you were with, as long as I’ve got anything to say about it.”

Brian bit his lip, not really knowing how to reply- or how to react to the weird feelings fluttering through him either.  So, he leaned in, placing a soft kiss on the Alpha’s lips.  Carter pulled him closer in response, and Brian licked his lip before slipping his tongue in the man’s mouth.

His stomach interrupted, protesting its need for food, causing them to part with a chuckle.  “Alright, alright,” Carter spoke down to his gut, rubbing his stomach.  “No need to get pushy.”

Sitting Brian at the island, the Alpha set to work finishing what he had intended to earlier.  They settled into a casual banter about various things.  Everything from where Carter grew up in Buenos Aires, to Brian’s childhood in Barstow with Rome.  Of course, it was bound to come around to things of a more current nature.

“So, how did you end up here, then?” Brian asked as he was putting his tacos together.  “Doing… this?”

“My father,” he grunted.  “He’s worked with the Columbines for as long as I can remember.  Built himself an empire.  I was expected to do the same, but I was going to do it on _my_ terms.  That’s why I came to Miami.  Through my father’s connections, I hooked up with the cartels from Cuba and the Dominican.”  He paused.  “Ever since he died though, I’ve been getting things to where I can cut and run.”

Brian looked over at him questioningly, and he continued.  “I’m done.  Between what my father left me and what I made on my own… I don’t have to deal with this bullshit anymore.”  He growled.  “So sick of doing this- dancing around the cartels, playing games with the feds.  It’s enough.  I’m getting too old for this shit- to waste my life on something that was never mine to begin with.”

“So what are you saying?” Brian managed to ask, his mouth suddenly going dry.

“This is the last run.  Then I’m free.” 

The Alpha turned away to sit at the island, so he completely missed the frown crossing Brian’s face.  Why did that pain him, thinking Carter was going to leave?  The blonde sat wordlessly next to him, trying to compose his feelings.

“What’s wrong?” Carter questioned, seeing he wasn’t eating.

Brian snapped out of it, shaking his head.  “Nothin’.  Just…  Didn’t expect that is all.”

Carter shrugged, prodding him to eat.  “So, what brought _you_ down here?”  The tables had turned.

Resorting back to his cover story, he replied casually, “Rome and I got into some trouble- boosting cars, racing, that sort of thing.  So, we just decided to start driving and see where the wind took us.  We ended up here.”  He shrugged.  “It seemed like a nice place to stay.”

In reality, he and Rome had been working UC operations on the LAPD.  They had such a success rate that they got offers from just about every federal branch.  After a lot of debate, they ended up choosing the DEA in Miami.  They figured, hell, excitement _and_ a gorgeous city?  Plus, plenty of street racing- that part hadn’t been a lie.

Carter smiled almost sadly.  “Yeah, it’s beautiful here.  I’m going to miss it.”

Brian glanced over at him, frowning.  “Where’re you going?”

The Alpha looked away.  “I don’t think you want to know that.”  Without thinking, Brian whined, quickly stifling it.  Carter had heard though, looking at him in surprise. 

He didn’t want the Alpha going away from him, that’s all he knew.  It didn’t make sense to him.  This was Carter Verone he was talking about- a criminal.  He was Brian O’Connor- a cop.  Nothing could ever _really_ happen between them.

Even if Carter were to offer him to go with him, it wouldn’t matter.  When the operation was over, he’d be in prison, and Brian would be off to his next assignment.  Like it never happened.

Sensing his distress, Carter changed topics, which Brian was thankful for.  His mind wasn’t in any place to be thinking about such things, so he allowed the Alpha to pull him into happier conversation.  Before he knew it, they were laughing and joking around like they’d known each other for years.

They’d migrated out to the living room, when a ringing noise caught their attention.  “That’s my cell,” Brian mentioned.  “Wonder who the hell that could be.”  He went up to the guest room where his phone sat on the nightstand.  He sighed, knowing he should have guessed it would be Rome.

“Hey, man,” he greeted.  “Sup?”

“Just wanted to make sure you were still alive.”

“Yeah man, I’m fine.”

“You sound it.  That Alpha friend of yours treatin’ you right?”  There was a hidden threat in his tone, and Brian didn’t doubt that he would very willingly run to his aid and beat someone into the ground if need be.

“I’m _fine_ , Rome.”  He sighed, starting to walk back downstairs.  “Seems the worst is over, so I’ll be good to go for the run.”

“Good to know,” he replied.  There was a pause, and he could practically hear the other man grinning.  “So, how’s the sex?”

Brian nearly choked on his tongue.  “Dude, you can’t ask me that!”

“Sure I can.  I’m your brother.”  He laughed.  “So, is heat sex as good as they say?”

By then he had reached the living room and was blushing like crazy.  “Damnit, brah.  Seriously?”

Carter looked over at him questioningly.  Brian covered the receiver, mouthing his friend’s name and the Alpha nodded, turning his attention back to the TV.  Although, he suspected Carter was still listening.

“Well, is it any good or not?”  Rome chuckled some more.  “Or maybe that Alpha doesn’t know how to satisfy?”

Brian face-palmed.  “It’s mind-blowingly amazing,” he sighed in exasperation.  “Are you happy now?”

Rome laughed some more before he finally let it go.  “Alright, brah.  I jus’ wanted to check up on you.  Get some rest.  I’ll see ya tomorrow.”

Brian’s face fell, not even realizing that the day of the run was upon them already.  “Yeah,” he replied, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach.  “See ya.”  He hung up the phone, putting it on the coffee table as he settled next to Carter.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, seeing the frown on his face.

“I didn’t realize the run was tomorrow.”

Carter blinked, taken aback a moment.  Then he nodded.  “Yeah, you’re right.  Guess I lost track of time too.”

Brian wasn’t sure what to make of that.  It was the man’s big exit strategy, his final hurrah before cutting tail, and he’d forgotten?

“In that case,” he continued, grabbing onto Brian’s wrist as he stood.  “I don’t think we should be wasting time down here.”

Brian raised a brow, trailing behind him.  “My next cycle hasn’t started yet,” he pointed out.

“And?  It’s called cuddling.”  He pulled him in at the top of the stairs, giving him a soft kiss.  “And maybe you can get some more sleep too.”

Brian smiled softly, giving him a kiss as well, nipping his lower lip as he pulled away.  “If you’d told me you were a cuddler before this, I would’ve never believed you.”

Carter laughed as they walked to the room.  “Neither would I,” he replied honestly.  He fell down onto the bed, pulling Brian with him.  Lying on top of him, Carter rubbed his cheek with his knuckles.  “You just seem to bring that out in me, Bri.”

He grinned.  “You did it again,” he mentioned.

“Did what?”

“Called me, Bri.”  The blonde leaned down, kissing him.  “I like it,” he added, letting his body slip down to the bed beside the Alpha.  He snuggled in close, closing his eyes.  He smiled when he felt the nuzzling in his hair, and the strong arms pull him in.

~ * ~ * ~

His next cycle started in the evening.  It was so mild, it didn’t even disturb him.  It was Carter’s soft nuzzles and warm kisses that pulled him out of sleep.  “Bri,” he whispered, his voice coming out husky.

The blonde opened his eyes, meeting Carter’s gaze.  He smiled, rolling them over so he was straddling the Alpha.  “Someone’s anxious,” Carter laughed, grabbing onto his hips.

“What?  I can’t enjoy the things you do to me?” he asked coyly, feeling the warmth from his heat spreading through him in a pleasant glow.

Seemingly liking the sound of that, Carter growled and dug his fingers in possessively.  He rolled his hips, erection rubbing against the blonde’s thigh.  Brian growled right back, hands slipping under the man’s shirt.  Once it was removed, the Omega took care of his as well before lying on top of him.

He nipped his collar bone, rubbing against him suggestively.  Carter’s growl only increased, tilting his head back and giving Brian access to his neck.  It was an unguarded position, filled with complete trust.  It caught the Omega off-guard, and Carter seemed to catch the hitch in his breath.

“It’s alright, Bri,” he spoke soothingly, rubbing his back.  He tilted his head a bit more in silent permission.

Brian took his time, trailing gentle kisses up his neck.  He tested the waters, nipping at the exposed flesh.  Carter made a humming sound, a smile creeping onto his face.  “More,” he whispered.

Obliging his request, Brian bit onto his neck above the collar bone.  Carter growled in approval and rolled his hips up again, causing Brian to moan into the Alpha’s neck.  The brunette’s hands traveled down his sides, ending up on his hips.  They dipped down, grabbing Brian’s rear and squeezing, pulling him up closer to him.

“ _More,_ Bri,” he managed.

Brian dropped his jaw, biting harder onto his neck, both of them groaning out in pleasure.  One of Carter’s hands threaded into his blonde curls, the other travelling to settle on his lower back.  He arched up into Brian, breathing becoming heavier.

When the Omega started to suck on the spot, lapping it with his tongue, Carter moaned so loud Brian thought he would come just from the sounds he was making.  “Mmm, Brian,” he gasped out, hips jerking up.  “Let me mark you.”

He paused in his ministrations, teeth not leaving the other’s neck.  Sensing his hesitance, Carter continued.  “Please.  Want to see my mark on you.”

Brian knew the implications.  Sure, it wasn’t being claimed, but it was awfully close.  Once an Alpha claimed an Omega, they would trade bites, hard enough to break skin.  Then they would keep opening the wounds, making them scar as a permanent reminder on their skin.  Couples who were intimate would mark each other too, just not in such a drastic way.

For some reason, the idea didn’t seem to bother him- which was the actual cause of his hesitation.  Letting go of the Alpha’s neck, he sat up, looking at his own mark he’d left behind on Carter’s skin.  He traced his fingers of the indentations, a possessive feeling overtaking him.

Brian’s eyes met those grey-blue orbs and he nodded, the corner of his lips curling up.  Carter growled, sitting up while keeping the Omega straddling his lap.  He wrapped his arms around Brian’s middle, kissing him hungrily.

When he pulled away, Brian tilted his head back, giving the Alpha his throat.  Carter nuzzled the same spot that the blonde had marked before gently biting.  Brian inhaled sharply in surprise, holding his breath a few moments.  Realizing how right it felt though, he found himself whimpering, leaning into Carter.

The Alpha growled, deeper this time, holding him tight as he increased the bite.  Brian’s fingers dug into the brunette’s back.  One of his hands traveled down, groping between them, starting to pull at Carter’s pants.  Licking at the mark he left, the man pulled back to look at it before licking his lips as well.

Brian’s disrobing paused, catching the look in the Alpha’s eyes.  They were completely blown out in desire, shining as he took Brian in completely.  He was gazing at him as though in a new light, hand brushing across the mark.

Surprising himself, Brian moaned loudly at the brief contact, grinding down into Carter.  The Alpha reacted by throwing Brian down on the bed, removing his pants in a flash.  Once he’d kicked his own off though, he returned the Omega to where he’d been, straddling him.

“You’re gorgeous,” he whispered in his ear.  “Want to take you all in.”  Carter heard the breathy exhales in his ear as he ran his fingers along Brian’s defined abs.

He adjusted himself before lying back on the bed, Brian left on top.  Carter noticed how the Omega seemed hesitant, so he took the initiative, taking Brian’s erection in his hand and starting to pump at it languidly.

To say he was a bit surprised would be correct, but the blonde quickly recovered.  He reached behind him, where Carter’s own erection was now rubbing against his ass as he rocked his hips gently.  Brian encircled the Alpha’s hard-on, squeezing with just the right amount of pressure.

The Omega was starting to melt into his hand, and Carter took the opportunity to snake his free hand around, slipping a finger to Brian’s entrance.  The blonde squirmed, making a needy sound in the back of his throat.  The Alpha grabbed his hips, guiding him backwards to be in position.

Losing all sense of shyness he’d been displaying, Brian guided Carter into him, both of them groaning in pleasure.  The Omega lowered himself ever so slowly- agonizingly so- but it felt far too good to complain.  When he was finally seated, Carter had to remember to breathe so he didn’t lose it all at that very moment.

As Brian began to move, the brunette found he couldn’t keep his eyes off him.  Or his hands.  They wandered over his tight abdomen muscles, his hips, his neck, watching him in his full glory.  “Beautiful,” Carter whispered, fingers brushing his jaw.

Brian turned his head, kissing his palm before Carter moved it away to lie on his collar bone, just staring at the mark.  Likewise, the blonde’s hands we drifting along the length of Carter’s body, lingering near his own bite mark. 

He whimpered, feeling himself hovering at the edge.  “ _Carter,”_ he begged.  The Alpha grabbed ahold of his hips, thrusting up into him hard.  The blonde growled, unable to think straight.  A few more thrusts and Carter had him.  The Alpha rocked his hips slowly, drawing out their mutual orgasms.

When there was nothing left in either of them, Brian flopped down on top of the Alpha, hearing the huff of breath leaving him.  But Carter didn’t complain.  Rather, he wrapped Brian up tightly in his arms, rolling them so they were both on their sides.  The Alpha nuzzled his throat and mark, a deep, possessive rumble growing in his chest.

Likewise, Brian returned the gesture, though the noises he made were more akin to purring.  He was content as could be, snuggling even closer into the man.  Smelling deeply, he hummed pleasantly, their scents combined in the most intimate of ways.  It perfumed the air.

It was an incredible feeling that washed over him.  A peace he hadn’t felt before.  For once, Brian was feeling like he was right where he needed to be.  Had he been more coherent, his thoughts would have worried him.  As it was though, he only burrowed his head into the curve of Carter’s neck.

As he drifted out of consciousness, his last thought was that they seemed to belong together- to each other.  The cynical part of his brain never had the chance to reply.

~ * ~ * ~

A harsh ringing sound woke them in the morning.  Carter growled, reaching over to the nightstand and answering his phone.  “What?!” he barked into it, running a hand over his face.  “Alright.  Start prepping the Navigator.”

He tossed the phone back down with a sigh, looking over to see Brian was awake.  “Time to go?” he asked, frowning.

Seemingly just as put off by the idea, Carter nodded.  “Have to get ready.”

Brian begrudgingly rolled out of bed, heading to the guest bedroom to let Carter prepare.  He gathered up all his personal belongings- what little he had brought with him.  He found the clothes he’d worn to the club and dressed.  It was all he had with him that was his, and it wasn’t like he’d had them on for long.

Done with what he needed, he walked out, wondering where the Alpha was.  He decided just to head downstairs, figuring he’d be there eventually.  He sat on the arm of the couch, and sure enough, it wasn’t long before Carter came down.

Brian’s eyes automatically raked over him, taking in his appearance- loose slacks, and a navy blue dress shirt that was of the billowy variety, the top few buttons left open.  He had a bag in hand, and as though on cue, Roberto walked in to take it.

Carter turned to the blonde, emanating the same sadness that was currently surrounding Brian as well.  Finding he couldn’t meet the Alpha’s gaze, he looked away, out the glass doors to the pool.   _I’m gonna miss you,_ he was thinking, but he didn’t open his mouth to say it.  It wouldn’t matter now.

He heard the Alpha approach and looked up to see his solemn face.   He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped.  His nostrils flared and his brows furrowed together, looking him over critically.  “What?” Brian asked, wondering what on earth could be wrong.

“Your clothes,” he replied, a tinge of what sounded like disgust in his voice.

“What?  Do they smell bad?  They shouldn’t?”  He dropped his nose to his shirt sleeve, taking a sniff.

“Not that.  They don’t smell like me.”

Brian understood the look in the man’s eyes then.  Carter had the urge to scent, to mark, to possess.  It made the Omega’s heart skip a beat, but he tried to shove it down as just Alpha instincts.  Still...  The idea of _this_ Alpha possessing him didn’t bother him.  It even brought a smile to his lips.

He allowed Carter to crowd in beside him, starting to nuzzle and rub against him everywhere, just as he had when he’d been attacked.  It was oddly comforting, a reassurance as they prepared to carry out the run.  To Brian, it almost seemed like a promise.

Biting his lip at the thought, Brian whimpered softly.  The Alpha only pulled him closer in response, making deep, calming noises.   _Don’t go...  please, don’t go._ Why couldn’t he speak?   _Stay with me.  Take me with you.  Just please, don’t go._

“Brian, I...”  Carter trailed off, pulling back a little.  He was trying to find the right words, but they seemed to be escaping him.  Instead, he dipped his head again, nose nuzzling the mark he’d made through the cloth of his shirt.  Everything that needed said was suddenly spoken in that one simple gesture.

Brian breathed out softly, rubbing their cheeks together lovingly.  He lowered his head, mimicking the gesture on Carter’s neck.  There was a possessive rumble forming in the Alpha’s chest as he held the blonde tightly to him. 

_Please don’t leave me._ Every molecule in his body screamed it over and over again.  Yet the words themselves refused to come out.  It was as though Brian could feel the same sentiments washing over him, coming from the Alpha.

The pair was interrupted when Enrique walked in, informing them that Rome had arrived and was pulling around back.   Carter nodded, and then looked back down at the Omega.  He forced a sad smile before leaning in to kiss him.  It was fierce and wanting, passion flowing behind every moment, and Brian drank it all in.

They held each other’s gaze, neither knowing what to say.  Eventually, Brian opened his mouth, though he didn’t say the things he really wanted to.  “Be careful, Carter.”

“Yeah.”  He rubbed the blonde’s cheek softly.  “You too, Bri.”

He smirked.  “No promises.”

Carter chuckled softly.  “Yeah, the way you drive, I can see why.”  He clearly hadn’t forgotten watching his and Rome’s try-out run, where Brian had shown why people called him a reckless cowboy frequently.  He petted Brian’s hair, grey-blue eyes searching his.

“Boss?” Enrique spoke up.  “We have to go if we’re gonna make our window.”  The Alpha nodded, nuzzling Brian’s cheek one last time before motioning for him to go out ahead of them. 

As Carter trailed behind with the Beta, the blonde overheard him.  “You make sure to keep him safe,” he ordered.  Part of him wanted to growl back that he could take care of himself.  However, the other part, the one that had gotten to know the Alpha, felt warmed by the protective sentiments.

When he got to the drive, he smiled brightly at seeing his best friend leaning against the Spyder.  “Rome!” he yelled, practically bouncing over to him.

“Hey, brah,” he greeted, a warm smile of his own.  He nodded to his Evo in the drive.  “See you beat me here.”  There was a suspicious undertone to his voice, but Brian played it cool and simply shrugged.

When Carter came into view, gone was the smile and warmth he knew.  Instead, it was the cold as ice Verone that stood in his place.  Looking towards Rome, he spoke dryly, “See you made it.  Now, just go where these two instruct you and there won’t be an issue.”  He looked at his watch.  “I’d get going if you don’t want to lose the window.”

“We’ll see you at the finish,” Brian assured coolly, the mask of snow he was known for washing over him.  He wasn’t offended by Carter’s actions- even if they did sting a little.  The man was only being cautious, not wanting to show his hand to anyone that didn’t need to know it.

Carter nodded slowly, and when Rome had turned his back, Brian noticed a brief glimmer in his eyes.  The Omega tilted his chin a little, only a quick flash of his throat, but it was there.  He smirked, returning the gesture before retreating to the Navigator.

All the cars left the compound, each of them knowing their parts to play.  Except, Brian’s role was making him sick to his stomach- the one that was supposed to wield the dagger in the back.


	4. Chapter 4

Everything had gone down without a hitch.  Brian and Rome had picked up duffle bags, which they could only assume were stuffed with the dirty money Carter had been having trouble getting out of the country.  The local cops who were supposed to be watching the place conveniently had their backs turned while at the trailer park, which meant zero cop trouble as expected.

The pair zipped straight to the Keyes, Enrique giving Brian directions as they went.  Without any excitement, the Beta looked over at him, deciding to fill the silence.  “You’re somethin’, you know that?”

“What do you mean?” Brian asked, raising a brow.

“Verone.  He’s never looked at anyone the way I saw him looking at you since you showed up for that test.”  He paused.  “Then that deal with Moff.  If Roberto and I hadn’t gotten there, he probably would have killed him on the spot.  As it was, we handled that.”

Brian swallowed hard, not realizing Carter’s kill orders had been literal.  “He… he did that… for me?”  He wasn’t sure how to feel about that.  How was _supposed_ to feel?  Flattered?  Safe?  Guilty?  Responsible?

“I thought maybe it was just you bein’ in heat.  Y’know, messin’ with his brain.  It’s been a long time since he brought anyone home, so…”  Enrique shrugged.  “But after seeing you together today…”  He looked over at Brian.  “He loves you.”

The Omega made a choking noise in surprise.  _Love?_

“You don’t feel the same?” the Beta inquired.

“I…  I wasn’t exactly…  Not somethin’ I’ve thought about,” he finally managed.  He pondered that as they got off the freeway, heading towards the canals.  He supposed he did.  Though how was that possible in only such a short time?  “Even if he does, that doesn’t mean he’d wanna keep me around… claim me.”

Enrique smirked.  “What I saw?”  He laughed lightly, shaking his head as though it were an inside joke.

“I’m not lookin’ for an Alpha,” he replied firmly.

“Who you tryin’ to convince?”

Brian bit his tongue, a scowl crossing his face.  The Beta caught it, holding his hands up in surrender and looked back out the window silently.  The rest of the trip passed that way, the blonde swept into his turbulent thoughts.

They had been following the canals, ending up pulling into a well-concealed gravel drive.  It wound around a thick cover of trees, opening up to reveal a dock, complete with a large boat.  He spotted the Navigator there and pulled up where Enrique instructed.

Brian parked the Evo, seconds later the Spyder stopping behind him.  As he climbed out, Enrique was already hurrying back to the trunk that he’d popped open.  The blonde should have been helping him with the bags, but all he could do was hover there, staring at Carter who had just stepped from the Navigator.

The Alpha’s eyes met his, but Brian shifted his gaze away quickly, panic starting to fill him.  He looked over at Rome as he walked around the other side of the car to lean against it.  His best friend joined him, keeping a bit of distance between them as he was picking up his signals.

The Omega’s mind was going a mile a minute, gaze focusing on the ground.  This was it.  The end of the op.  Their back up would be arriving at any time, having been tracking their cars.  Then Carter…  Carter would be gone. 

His face twitched, not wanting to think about it, his chest starting to hurt.  It shouldn’t have bothered him, but it did.  No matter what, Carter would be gone- whether in the hands of the feds or away to wherever it was he was going. 

That’s when it hit him, like a bolt of lightning.  If Carter slipped the feds, Brian still wouldn’t be able to see him, but at least the Alpha would be happy.  He’d be free… just like he had been wanting all these years.  As he had steeled himself, knowing what he had to do, his eyes snapped up, finding Carter standing right in front of him.

“Brian?”  He was looking at him in concern, starting to reach out for him. “I want-”

“Go!” he yelled, shoving the Alpha away.  “Get out of here, Carter!”

“Brian?” he heard Rome ask.

The Omega wasn’t being swayed though.  He squared his shoulders, growling.  “The feds are gonna swarm this place any minute!”

Carter’s brows furrowed, shaking his head.  “Bri, what are you-?”

“Now!” he barked, pain filling his voice.  His chest was heaving, and he had started to shake.  “Before it’s too late…”

The Alpha had so many emotions passing behind his blue-grey eyes- pain, confusion, hesitance.  Brian just wanted to grab onto him and take it all back, make everything go away.  However, he knew what he had to do.  Every fiber of his being screamed to protect the Alpha.

Carter covered the distance between them in a blink.  The Omega yelped, but he quickly realized he didn’t have anything to fear.  He was being wrapped in strong arms, lips finding his.  There was so much emotion thrust into one searing kiss that Brian thought his heart would burst.

He felt the Alpha’s hand lay at his collar bone, fingers ghosting over the mark on his neck.  Brian inhaled sharply at the sensation.  There was a pained noise at the back of his throat, but Carter smothered it by pulling him closer, pressing harder on the mark- a silent reassurance.  Of what, Brian didn’t know.

Collecting himself, the Alpha only nodded, backing away toward the dock.  When he got closer to the boat, he barked at his Betas to cast off.  Brian’s eyes trailed him the whole way, feeling Rome stepping up next to him.  “Brian… Are you sure about this?” he asked quietly.  The blonde didn’t look at him, just nodded once. 

At the helm, starting the boat, Carter looked back at him, expression carefully guarded, but eyes giving him away.  He was hesitating, and Brian almost barked at him again, but the Alpha finally looked away, pulling the boat from the docks.

As it disappeared behind the tree line, a whimper left his lips, his earlier determination instantly fading into pain.  He ran, getting around the stand of trees with Rome at his heels.  He watched the boat travel further into the distance.

Brian’s legs gave out and he landed on his knees.  What came over him, he wasn’t sure, but he threw his head back and howled.  He was in so much pain, feeling like his heart was literally being ripped from his chest.  “Carter,” he whimpered, trying to hold back the tears.

There were cars pulling up, and what could only be DEA agents piling out expecting a bust.  He felt Rome grab his shoulder, both in comfort and in warning.  The only thing Brian could focus on though was the horizon.

~ * ~ * ~

Walking away from all the other agents, Rome grabbed onto his bicep.  Brian winced, not because it hurt, but because he knew what was coming.  Or, at least he thought he had.  “Brian…  You a’ight?” his friend asked gently.

The blonde felt the lump return to the back of his throat, and bit back the tears that were threatening to appear.  “No man,” he barely whispered.  “No, I’m really not.”

Rome pulled him in, hugging him tightly.  “I’ve got you brah,” he spoke quietly, comforting him the best he could given the situation.

Neither of them should have been surprised when Markham had gone bat-shit crazy on them for “letting Verone get away.”  Despite both of them having the same story- Verone tried to skip before back up arrived and they’d attempted to intercept him- they’d been put “under review.”  Brian knew that meant he would be jobless within the week.  He only hoped that he didn’t cost his best friend the same thing because he decided to pull such a stupid stunt.

“You knew… didn’t you?” Brian accused, though there was no bite behind it.

“ _Strongly_ _suspected_ ,” Rome corrected.  He sighed, pulling his friend back to arm’s length.  “When I saw you this morning, I smelled him on you.  _That_ could have been written off as you using him as a means to an end.  When you let him go though…”

Brian looked away, a frown on his face.

“So,” Rome continued, “he claim you?”

The blonde’s head turned back to Rome so quickly, his neck should have snapped.  “What?!  No!”

Then it was Rome’s turn to be surprised.  “He didn’t claim you?  Why not?  It’s clear he’s your Alpha.  Why else would you do that?”

“ _My_ Alpha?” he breathed, jaw going slack.  “That’s not-”

“Bullshit,” the Beta scoffed.  “I have eyes, Brian.  He’s your Alpha.  Which certainly explains why you suddenly went into heat.”  At his friend’s confused expression, he sighed in exasperation.  “You think it was coincidence that you meet Verone and then your suppressants don’t work?  You’ve probably been around _hundreds_ of Alphas since you went on those, and that certainly hasn’t brought on your heat.”

“I…”  Brian was floored.  “I never…  I never thought of it like that.”  He’d only been focused on the fact they failed, not that there was possibly a _reason_ behind that failure.  Had his body been trying to tell him that it recognized the Alpha the whole time?

Suddenly, so many things over the last couple days seemed to fall into place.  It all crashed down on him, opening his eyes to the truth in front of him.  The weight of it all sent him to his knees, and he didn’t bother to hold back the tears anymore.

Rome crouched next to him, rubbing his shoulders.  Brian’s hand latched onto the bottom of his shirt.  “What am I supposed to do?” he managed between sobs. 

“Listen to your heart.”  He laid his hand on his friend’s chest, emphasizing the point.  “Ain’t nothin’ else you _can_ do.”

Brian sniffed.  “I need to find him, Rome.” 

The Beta nodded.  “I’ll find him,” he assured.  They stayed that way for a few moments, and after Brian pulled himself together, Rome helped him to stand.  “Come on.  Let’s get you home.  You don’t need to be around for clean-up.”

Brian couldn’t argue there.  As it was, he was in no place to make rational decisions.  He couldn’t count on himself to not break down in front of the other agents, especially when they would start going through anything and everything of Carter’s they could get their hands on.

The Omega hesitated, looking out to the water again.  He could almost hear the Alpha calling him.

~ * ~ * ~

**-Two Weeks Later-**

Curled up on the couch, the blinds closed, and the TV on purely for noise- that’s how Rome found his best friend.  Sadly, it hadn’t been the first time either.  He sighed heavily, shutting the door behind him.  “Do I need to drag you out again?” he asked, sitting down on the edge of the couch.

Brian grumbled something incoherent, burrowing into his pillow more.  Well, not _his_ pillow, Rome noted.  It was one of Verone’s. 

The DEA had been given the warrant to go through the compound, not that they had found anything of real use.  While he was combing the place, Rome had found the master bedroom.  When the strong scent of Alpha hit him upon entering, he knew just the way to help his best friend.

He had bagged up a couple pillows in evidence bags, able to walk them right out the front door with no one being the wiser.  To say that Brian had been overwhelmingly happy, well it was putting things mildly.  He looked like a kid on Christmas that had just received the best present ever.

The Omega was battling a roller-coaster of emotions.  One day he would be active, able to go out, and act relatively calm, while others he would stay closed off in his own shell, alone, hurt, and- Rome assumed- scared.  Those days seemed more numerous than not, and the Beta couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Brian smile like he had when getting those pillows.

“Seriously, Bri, you need to get your ass out of the house.  It’s been, what, two days now?”  When the blonde grunted, he growled at him.  “You’re coming out with me tonight.”  Knowing his interest would be peaked, he added, “There’s a race on.”

Sure enough, he saw one sea blue eye peek out from the pillow at him.  “I dunno that I can do it,” he spoke, sound muffled by the pillow.  He knew exactly what the blonde was speaking of too.  Most of the occasions that Brian had ended up in hiding had been because he’d been spooked by something or other while out.

Rome didn’t want his friend backpedalling and reverting into himself even further, but he also couldn’t just sit by and do nothing at all.  “I’ll be right there with you.  Would I let anything happen to you?”

Brian shook his head, easing up on his death grip on the pillow, propping up on an elbow to finally look at him.

“If I have to drag you from this house kicking and screaming…” the Beta threatened.

“Fine,” he agreed.  Now that he was looking though, he saw the file in Rome’s hands.  “What’s that?”

Rome held it up.  “The latest info I dug up on Verone.”  When Brian sat up immediately, he plopped the folder onto his lap.  “Sorry it took so long.”

“Don’t apologize,” Brian replied, opening it up.  He knew exactly what his friend was going through to get him information.  The Beta was jumping through hoops, going through back door channels and under the table deals to get intel without tipping off any of his superiors in the DEA.

Brian would have been doing it himself had he not been fired.  It hadn’t been a surprise though.  He had all but accepted that it would happen.  Despite their stories being the same, those in charge deemed that Brian was no longer welcome as an agent- anything to get rid of the Omegas.  At least Rome hadn’t lost everything due to his actions.

“You know how you told me about Verone’s dad?  Well, I finally found him.  He died three years ago.”  Brian looked at the rap sheet on one Geraldo Verone, and by his picture it was clear he was related to Carter.

“Were you able to find his holdings like I said?” he asked.

Rome flipped through a few pages.  “Yeah, here.  When he died, all his property was transferred to Alejo Martinez.  Intel says he was Geraldo’s right hand.  I assume he was holding it for his son.”

Brian saw a few different homes listed.  “What about these?  Did you-?”

“No good.  It was only like a month before everything was sold off.  They went to various private parties- some involved in the Verone organization, some not.”

“Damnit.”  Brian sighed.  He had been hoping that if he could find Carter’s property holdings that he could find the man himself.  “What about his mother?”  The Alpha hadn’t talked about her at all.  Not that Brian had been very talkative about his own parents- a dead beat dad who was never around, and a mother who died far too young from all the years of busting her ass to take care of him on her own.

Rome shook his head.  “Dead.  Carter was five.”  Brian frowned.  “And no other relatives that I could really find.”  The Beta sighed.  “He’s like a ghost now.  I’m sorry, Brian.”

The blonde nodded slowly, closing the file and throwing it down on the coffee table.  He was completely out of ideas.  How was he supposed to track down Carter now?  “I’m not gonna see him again, am I?” he softly asked.

“Hey, we’re not out of things just yet,” Rome replied.  “Just hang in there, alright?”

Brian nodded begrudgingly, wondering if his best friend was simply trying to be kind.  “Lemme go change and we can go,” he mentioned. 

He came out a minute later in a pair of jeans and a baggy tee-shirt, yet another sign of his state of mind.  Rome knew the blonde would normally be rocking a pair of shorts and a fitting tank or tee that would let others see his body.  Now, now he was so far into himself that he didn’t even want others looking at him anymore.  Rome only hoped he could keep it together that night.

~ * ~ * ~

**-1 Week Later-**

Walking down the street, Brian kept his hands in his jean pockets.  The dark cloud that had been following him was still there, despite his best efforts to shake it.  He’d been to his doctor- at Rome’s insistence- and he had been blunt about the fact that what he was going through was typical of Omegas abandoned by their Alphas.

_Abandoned._ That had made his blood boil, setting him into a rage that had him storming from the office.  Carter hadn’t abandoned him.  Brian had told him to leave.  Period.

The blonde halted, sensing something amiss.  He spun around, searching the area behind him.  Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as he scanned the afternoon crowd.  _Just my imagination._ He was being jittery, nothing more.

He had already called Rome, finding out if he could meet up with him somewhere to talk.  After everything with his doctor, he needed to blow off steam.  That’s how he ended up at a little neighborhood pub, sitting in a back booth by the window, waiting on his best friend.

When he finally showed, Rome snatched the Corona from his hands, putting it at the end of the table to be taken away.  “I was drinking that,” Brian spoke dryly.

“Yeah, well you don’t need it.”  He asked the waitress to bring them a couple coffees and then leaned on the table looking at him critically.  “What the doc say?”

Brian huffed, looking out the window.  “That I’m suffering from AAS.”  When Rome only looked at him quizzically, he added, “Alpha Abandonment Syndrome.”  He snorted.  “He then prescribed me some bullshit psycho-babble drugs and recommended I see a shrink as soon as possible.”

“Did you get the pills?”

“The scripts are currently torn into little pieces in his office trash can.”  He leveled his gaze at his friend.  “I don’t need some damn pills.  I need my Alpha.”

There was a tingling in his gut as he realized what he had said.  It was the first time he’d admitted that out loud, that Carter was _his_ Alpha.  Even the night before, he had danced around it…

_They were at a neighborhood bar, a place they often went to party after races and hang out with their friends.  Rome had been tempted to invited Tej, Suki, Jimmy, and the others from the garage, but he had a feeling Brian didn’t really want to be crowded by too many people.  He had done well at the race the previous weekend, but that had been in the open, and he’d been able to hang at a distance where he felt comfortable._

_Being in a bar was pushing his boundaries, but it was a small place, and the familiarity of it all was enough to help settle his immediate nerves.  Sitting at the bar allowed him a perch over things, to watch the crowd there that night and adjust to the energy around him.  Eventually, he was feeling good enough to let Rome take him in the back room area for a game of pool._

_Of course, with his luck as of late, an Alpha had started playing at the next table, and it hadn’t taken him long to zero his sights in on Brian.  “Hey, gorgeous,” he greeted, leaning on his pool cue.  Brian turned his head, raising a brow at him before promptly putting him on ignore.  “What, cat got your tongue?” he continued, coming a bit closer._

_Brian saw Rome shifting to come around to his side of the table, but the blonde shook his head.  He needed to do things on his own.  He always had before, and everything that had happened wasn’t about to change that.  He turned back to the Alpha, a scowl on his face.  “Back off,” he growled._

_The Alpha only grinned at him.  “Hmm, feisty, huh?  I kindda like that.”_

_Despite his friend’s silent order, Rome spoke up from across the table.  “I’d listen to him if I were you.”_

_“Yeah?” the guy mused, looking over Rome once.  “He isn’t yours, is he?”_

_“He already has an Alpha,” Rome shot back.  That settled into Brian’s stomach, feeling the warmth growing there at just the memories of Carter.  His hand brushed absently above his collar bone.  The mark was long gone, but still…_

_“Yeah?  So where is he?” the Alpha challenged back.  When neither of them replied, he smirked.  “Ah, so that’s how it is.  Someone’s Alpha ran away.”  Brian bristled, growling low in his throat.  Apparently the guy didn’t take him seriously, because he came closer.  “Now who would want to abandon someone like you?”_

Abandon.  _The word shot through him like a bolt of electricity.  The growl intensified, his eyes narrowing._   Abandoned?

_Rome saw his clenching fists, and attempted to warn the Alpha.  “If you keep it up, you’ll be walkin’ out with a broken jaw.”_

_“Yeah?” he asked in amusement._

_“Yeah.”_

_Brian heard the signal in that and struck, bringing a solid right hook around at lightning speed.  He heard the popping of bones on contact, and the howl of pain.  “No one says_ shit _about him!  You hear me?!” he growled.  Thankfully for the Alpha, Rome pulled him away and out the door before Brian decided to rip his throat out._

His reaction had Rome worried, he knew.  That was the only reason he begrudgingly agreed to go see his doctor.  Not that it had gotten him anywhere.

Rome didn’t try to argue about the pills.  He knew there was a time and place for everything when it came to Brian, especially nowadays.  “You’re comin’ with me.”  He stood, latching onto Brian’s wrist after throwing some bills on the table.

“Where?” he asked wearily.

“First I’m driving you home,” he replied, pushing him towards his deep purple Eclipse- oh, how he wished he could have kept that Spyder he’d been given for the op.  “And then we’re going to the beach.”

Brian wasn’t going to argue.  He knew Rome was trying to be nice, keep him out of the house and active so he’d come out of his stupor.  And really, his best friend knew he couldn’t resist the beach.  His house was only a few blocks away.  The blonde had driven home from the doctor and immediately decided he needed to walk- anywhere- to get the restless energy out. 

When Brian came back out, Rome was happy to see him in shorts again, though he knew it was most likely because it was harder to get jeans over board shorts.  Still, he’d take any little win he could get.

~ * ~ * ~

Brian leaned back on his hands, closing his eyes.  He loved the feel of the breeze coming off the ocean.  Rome was practically allergic to the sun, so they were sitting under a large beach umbrella.  His friend passed him another bottle of water- having outright refused to buy them some Coronas.  But at least Rome wasn’t drinking without him.

As he took a sip of the water, his eyes started scanning the beach.  Once again he felt the sensation of eyes on him.  He looked around quickly, not finding anyone that stuck out.  “What?” Rome demanded, starting to look himself.

“I keep feeling like someone’s watching me.”

He raised a brow at him.  “You’re a blonde surfer at the beach, brah.  Get with the program.”

Brian rolled his eyes at the playful jab.  “Very funny.”  As his eyes traveled over the various people around them again he explained, “I’ve been gettin’ that feeling all day.  Like someone’s followin’ me.”

“You’re just being uneasy cause all the people,” Rome replied, brushing it off.  “Just relax,” he scolded, seeing the blonde was still worrying.  “Go for a swim.”

The Omega hesitated, but nodded.  He stripped off his tee-shirt, and then stood to remove his shorts.  Still, he couldn’t shake the sensation that someone was there.  It took a moment, but he realized that he didn’t feel threatened though, so he tried to ignore it.

While he wasn’t nervous by the presence, he was feeling a bit exposed in only swim trunks, his anxiety coming through.  Brian hastened for the water, which always had the ability to calm him.  The waves cleansed away his worries, and the eyes watching him were still there.  He felt oddly… safe.


	5. Chapter 5

By the time Rome dropped him off at home, it had gotten dark out.  Brian walked into his house, sighing heavily.  “What a day,” he muttered.  Granted, he enjoyed the beach, and was grateful Rome had made him go.  It was everything else that had happened that weighed on him.

After kicking off his shoes, he went into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water- all his booze having been confiscated by none other than the Beta who’d taken to babysitting him.  He kicked the refrigerator door closed. 

As he walked into the living room, he noticed the answering machine blinking.  He hit the button, sighing as soon as he heard the man on the other end.  “Brian, its Dr. Evers.  I just wanted to call to see if you were feeling up to talking again.  You left the office today before I could really finish telling you about your options.  There’s a lot we can do to help you.  Please give me a call, alright?”

Brian growled, only barely stopping himself from throwing the machine on the ground.  “There’s nothing wrong with me _damnit!_ ”  He hadn’t been…   He wasn’t…  _Abandoned_.

The word echoed in his head, making him whimper.  He went for his room immediately, falling onto his bed.  He grabbed one of the Alpha’s pillows, pulling it in tightly.  He curled up around it in a ball, face following into it.  He took a few deep breaths, taking in the scent that still lingered in the fabric.

Just as he started to relax, he sensed another presence in the room.  Spinning instantly, the growl he let out died on his lips as he saw who was standing there.  Stepping out of the shadows was the familiar form of a brunette with startling grey-blue eyes and chiseled features.  Carter.

Brian’s jaw dropped, voice catching in his throat.  It was the Alpha.  _His_ Alpha!  Carter was looking at him evenly, eyes wandering his form, just as seemingly at a loss for words.  When the Omega finally managed to make a sound, it ended up being a whimper. 

The Alpha reacted immediately, practically flying into his personal space.  He wrapped Brian up, pulling him tightly to his chest.  He nuzzled him, hands traveling his body, the blonde returning every gesture just as fervently.

Brian grabbed the back of his shirt, clinging to him.  He was afraid that if he let go, it would all be a dream.  His lips crashed into Carter’s, desperate and needing.  The Alpha responded in kind, tongue invading his mouth.

They refused to part until air became a necessity again, both of them panting heavily.  They stared into each other’s eyes, simply amazed at the sight of the other.  “Wh…  What are you… doing here?” Brian managed between breaths.

Carter’s head tilted, a slight smirk coming to his face.  “I came back for _you_ of course.”  His hand cupped the blonde’s cheek, thumb brushing right beside his lips.  “An Alpha just can’t leave their Omega behind.”

It took Brian off-guard a moment, but then he grinned from ear to ear, throwing himself into the Alpha’s arms.  “Gawd, I was going crazy without you!” he admitted.  “At the dock… I… I knew you were _my_ Alpha.  I felt it before, but I didn’t get it till then.  Watching you go…”  He felt his chest tightening just at the thought and whimpered again.

Carter pushed him down on the bed, pressing in close to him.  He was putting his scent on him again, and Brian sighed happily.  As he nuzzled Carter’s neck, the Alpha spoke.  “Leaving you behind was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, Bri.  I felt like I was dying.”

The admittance that he felt it too, it warmed his very soul.  “I love you, Carter,” he admitted.  “I don’t want to be away from you ever again.”  He grabbed hold of the Alpha’s hand, placing it on the spot above his collar bone.

Carter inhaled sharply, understanding his meaning perfectly.  With his free hand, he pushed himself up to look into Brian’s sea blue eyes.  “I love you too, Brian.”  He squeezed on his neck a little.  “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

Brian nodded without any hesitation.  “You said yourself.  We can’t be apart without being in pain.  That’s how deep our bond goes.  My heat started because of _you._ ”  Carter looked surprised at that.  “You’re _my_ Alpha.”  He clutched Carter’s hand tighter.  “And I’m _your_ Omega.”

They stared at each other for a while.  Then, Carter smiled, nodding slightly.  “Yeah, Bri.  I’m yours.”  He leaned down, stealing a soft kiss.  “Always.”  He pulled back just enough to look him in the eye while asking, “Will you be my mate, Brian?”

He grinned.  “Yes, Carter,” he answered, leaning in to kiss him passionately.

Straddling him, the Alpha growled hungrily in response.  Between their sloppy, heated kisses, he managed to get out, “Want you… now.”  He moved to his neck, nuzzling and biting.  “Need you.”  He chewed on his ear a bit.

Brian nodded, hands sneaking under the normal tee-shirt the Alpha was wearing.  “Looks good on you,” he murmured.

“Hmm?”  Carter wasn’t stopping in his ministrations, nails starting to rake down his arm.

The Omega moaned softly before replying.  “The clothes.  It’s nice… to see you… casual.”  He was having trouble getting the words out as Carter palmed him through his shorts.

There was a grunt in reply, and a few more kisses and nips before any actual words.  “Needed to blend in.”  His voice was going husky, fully lost in the emotions.  The last thing on his mind was what they were wearing, unless that included the fact they had on too many items.

Sure enough, the Alpha started to strip them.  When they were skin to skin, he placed kisses on Brian’s stomach.  The Omega wiggled away, only to be grabbed by the hips and pulled back down.  Those grey-blue eyes glinted with humor, and there was a slight upturn to the corners of his mouth.

“Lube?” he questioned.  Brian tried to reach for the nightstand drawer, but Carter crawled over to do it. 

Taking advantage, the blonde slipped out from the side, coming around behind the Alpha and pushing him to the bed.  Grunting as the air rushed out of him, Carter turned his head to the side to eyeball him.  “Can I help you?” he asked gruffly, the hint of laughter in his voice.

Brian growled softly, body hovering over top of the brunette.  He ran his nose up the length of Carter’s spine, grinning as he felt the full body shiver.  He placed kisses on his shoulder, nibbling a bit before finally answering.  “Want to be inside you,” he whispered, voice like silk in his ear.

The Alpha managed to turn his upper body a bit to look at Brian better.  Their eyes met, and the blonde could see the hesitation there.  Carter was an Alpha.  It went against his base nature.  He also doubted the brunette would have bottomed in any other partnerships he might have had, just for that fact alone.

Carter shifted, fishing the lube from the drawer as he’d been trying to do in the first place.  He paused a moment before passing it over to Brian in a silent answer.  “You don’t have to do this,” he assured.  “If it makes you that uncomfortable.”  Hell, the blonde liked to be on the receiving end- who was he kidding?

The Alpha breathed out slowly, shaking his head.  Brian could make out the slight flush on his cheekbones.  “I trust you, Bri,” he answered softly.  “Just… never done this before.”

The blonde nodded in understanding.  He prodded Carter to roll over onto his back, looking at him with gentle eyes.  “I’ll take care of you,” he promised, kissing along his jaw.  “Just like you took care of me.”  He kissed him on the lips, putting all his emotions into it.

Carter responded in kind, hand lying on his neck.  He jumped when Brian’s hand snaked down between his legs, prodding at his opening.  “Just relax,” the blonde soothed.  As soon as he did though, there was a finger inside him, the slick warm on his insides.  “Shh… it’s ok.”  Brian was rubbing circles on his abdomen, feeling Carter clenching on his finger.

Ever so slowly and methodically, Brian prepped him, only adding fingers when he was absolutely sure the Alpha was ready.  As he stretched him, Carter panted, clutching onto the sheets.  When Brian brushed against his prostate, the Alpha cried out in surprise, pulling away.

Brian let him go, looking at the startled expression.  “Relax, babe,” Brian said, nuzzling his jaw.  “If you want to stop, we’ll stop, ok?”

Carter didn’t reply, wrapping his arm around Brian’s waist and pulling him in.  He nuzzled his throat a bit, causing Brian tilt his head back and give him better access.  The blonde knew his Alpha was trying hard to relinquish that sense of control.  So, Brian made the decision for him.

The Omega shifted quickly, wrapping his arms around Carter’s waist.  Before, the Alpha could react, Brian was lying back, moving them both so that Carter was on top of him.  He let the brunette push himself up on his hands, noting the question in his eye.

“We’re supposed to be having a reunion,” Brian reminded him, rolling his hips up pointedly.  “So, let’s get to the fun part already.”

“But, I thought…”

Brian took his face in his hands, looking him dead in the eye.  “Carter.  The fact you let me do _that_ much…  We’ll take it slow, ok?”  He laughed then, smirking.  “We have a lot of sex ahead of us in the future.  We’ll get there.”

Carter smiled down at him, both relieved and thankful that he understood.  “For you?  I’ll try.”

“Good.”  Brian’s hand slipped around to the scruff of his neck, pulling him in roughly for a heated kiss.  “Now,” he growled out.  “Fuck me before I go find some other Alpha that will.”

Carter barked a laugh, leaving himself open for an attack to his neck.  As Brian started to bite and lap on his sensitive spots, the Alpha returned the pleasured growls.  He stole the lube from the Omega, who would need to be prepped himself since he was no longer in heat.

He would make his Omega feel great.  Perhaps one day, he would be able to let him return the favor.  For that moment though, he didn’t care what the future brought.  All that matter was him and Brian in the present, and the overwhelming sense of love he held for the Omega.  _His_ Omega.

~ * ~ * ~

When Brian’s eyes flittered open to early dawn light, he immediately remembered what he’d been doing the previous night.  As he flew into a sitting position, his eyes fell to the figure beside him.  Carter startled at the sudden movement, looking around for danger.

As his gaze settled to Brian though, he frowned.  He brought a hand up to cup his cheek.  “What’s wrong, Bri?” he asked.

The blonde shook his head in disbelief.  “Sorry, it’s just… I thought maybe I’d been dreaming.”

Carter grinned lovingly at him.  “I’m real, beautiful.”  He leaned in to give him a gentle kiss.  Brian leaned into him, grateful that it hadn’t all been some trippy dream, that he really did have his Alpha back with him again.

“What happens now?” Brian asked quietly when he pulled away.  “It’s not like we can stay here.  For God’s sake, Carter, you shouldn’t even be here at all.”  With light brought logic it seemed, as the blonde hadn’t thought anything of it the night before.  Granted, he’d been too wrapped up in the emotions of their reunion.

Clearly, so had Carter, as he looked away almost sheepishly.  “Yeah, I know.  But I couldn’t just leave you here.  It took me all this time to figure out a game plan on how to get back in under the radar to get you.”  He looked Brian dead in the eye.  “I didn’t want you to think I’d forgotten about you.”

Brian shook his head, putting their foreheads together.  “It was a huge risk…  But I can’t be mad at you.  Not when I was trying to hunt you down this whole time.”  Carter looked at him in surprise and he chuckled.  “I didn’t have a damn bit of luck.  Even tried findin’ you through your dad’s old holdings, but you apparently sold them all.”

Carter smirked.  “My crafty Omega,” he mentioned fondly.  He held Brian by the scruff on the neck.  “No wonder you made such a good agent.”

Brian frowned, looking down at the bed as he pulled away.  “Yeah…” he replied softly, not wanting to think about how he’d almost been responsible for taking the man’s freedom away.

“Hey,” Carter protested, grabbing his chin to make him look back at him.  “I’m not mad at you, alright?”

The blonde nodded, his lips quirking just a bit.  “So, I assume you have a plan?” he asked, changing the subject.

“One phone call and we slip out on a private plane.”

“To where?”

Carter grinned.  “You trust me?”  Brian nodded without hesitating, something he would have never thought he’d be doing only a month before.  “It’s a surprise then.”

“When do we leave?” he asked, mimicking the Alpha’s smile.

“I can have them here as early as tonight, if you want.”

Brian nodded.  “I don’t want to take any chances of the DEA finding you here.  They’re so fucking pissed as it is.  Evidence or no, they’ll try to crucify you.”

Carter snorted.  “They could try, but they wouldn’t get very far.  No, the only reason I’d like to avoid attention would be so I don’t end up having to deal with the hassle of getting out of it all.  Besides…”  He leaned in and kissed Brian’s cheek.  “I don’t want to be away from you again for a single day.”

Brian didn’t reply, only rubbed his nose along the Alpha’s jaw lovingly.  He was practically purring as he was pulled in against him.

“Why don’t we shower and then make some breakfast?” Carter suggested.  “I’ll call when we’re done.”

The Omega wasn’t going to argue with that and drug the other man into the bathroom- not that he was struggling in the least.

~ * ~ * ~

After breakfast, Brian was cleaning up while Carter sat at the table to call his pilot about their pick-up arrangements.  When he hung up the phone, he looked over at the blonde, a smile drawing to his face as he observed the light way he was moving about.

“You look much better than yesterday,” he mentioned casually.

Brian paused, glancing over his shoulder.  His face held no clue as to what he was thinking.  Then, he grinned cheekily.  “I knew it.  I knew there was someone following me.”

Carter grinned back.  “When I got in, I came straight here but you were leaving.  So, I followed.”  He looked down at the table then, picking at the wooden surface.  “Is everything alright?”

“What do you mean?” Brian questioned, though he had a feeling he knew what he was asking.

“The doctor,” he said quietly.  “You were pissed when you left, and then that message last night had you worked up again.”

Brian sighed, pulling out the chair next to Carter and flopping into it backwards.  “Nothing to worry about now.  Just…”  He sighed even heavier.  “Rome was getting worried with how I’d been acting.”

“What had you so angry then?”  Brian probably would have tried to change the subject had the Alpha not looked up to meet his gaze then.  The concern in those blue-grey eyes was too much.

“Said I had Alpha Abandonment Syndrome,” he answered with a growl.  “Told ‘em they could shove it up their ass cause my Alpha _didn’t abandon me._ ”

Carter’s fist slammed on the table, making Brian jump slightly.  Growling, he rose to his feet, pacing across the kitchen and back again.  “Fucking morons!” he spat.  “What the hell do they know?  _I’m_ a fucking dead beat Alpha?”  He was fuming, breathing heavily out of his nose.

The full weight of what his Omega said though seemed to click in his head and he sat back down.  Carter’s face visibly paled.  “You thought… you felt like that?” he asked softly.

Brian didn’t seem bothered by his outburst and shook his head.  “No, I told you to go.  My body wanted you- _needed_ you- but they can’t just label it as being _abandoned_.”

He nodded, understanding the difference Brian was portraying.  “I wanted you to come with me,” he admitted.  “It was what I was going to ask before you blew the whistle.”  He looked away.  “Should have taken you anyway.”

The Omega shook his head.  “I couldn’t have then.  Even as much as I wanted to.  I couldn’t leave Rome to face our bosses alone like that.”

“Does he know?”  Brian nodded.  “What’s he gonna say about you leaving?”

“He was the one helpin’ me to find you.  I suppose he’d expect it.”  Carter seemed surprised, and Brian smirked.  “He just wants me to be happy.”

“So you really _are_ best friends then,” he replied.

Brian realized that the Alpha didn’t know his full story because of the op.  “Everything I said was true,” he answered.  “Just rather than running from LA cause of cop trouble, we got offers from just about every federal agency for our undercover work.  We chose Miami cause, well, it’s freakin’ Miami.”  He chuckled lightly, and Carter smiled.  “You were my first big case here,” he admitted.  Sure, he’d had others, but they were small time comparatively with some of the stuff he’d done before.

“Should have known that was the case,” he replied.  “You sounded too genuine when you talked for it to be a lie.”  He smirked.  “And I kindda found out the rest of that when I had my associates check into who you really were… Brian O’Connor.”

The blonde just stuck out his tongue, biting down on it with a cheeky grin.  Carter tried to reach out and grab his tongue in retaliation, only to have Brian quickly pull it back in and snap playfully at his fingers.  “Oh, it’s going to be like that, hmm?” the Alpha asked.

He didn’t get the chance to reply as he heard someone at the door.  Both men were immediately on their feet, but the Omega swept in front of him like a winter storm, protectively shielding his Alpha.  The door opened to reveal Rome, who stood there gaping at his best friend.

“Get in here and close the door,” Brian growled, snapping the Beta into action.

“What the hell’s he doin’ here, Bri?” he demanded, shooting worried glances at Carter.

“I came back for my Omega,” Carter answered for himself, coming up behind the blonde and slipping an arm around his waist possessively.

Rome looked between them in disbelief.  “He’s claiming you?”  Brian nodded, a grin slowly forming on his face.   The Beta chuckled in relief.  “That’s great, brah!”  Brian pulled away from the Alpha to meet his friend in a hug.

His smile fading, Rome pulled Brian sideways, looking at Carter seriously.  “You better take care of him.  If I ever hear my brother here’s unhappy…”

Carter nodded, understanding the threat there, though not even remotely worried about it.  “Brian will be the happiest Omega on this earth,” he promised.

Rome nodded in satisfaction, turning back to Brian with a smile, ruffling his hair.  “You be sure to call me and let me know where you are.”

Brian grinned.  “Course man.  What kindda brother would I be if I didn’t?”

“You need help gettin’ out?” Rome asked his friend seriously.

Brian shook his head.  “Carter has everything covered.  We’re leavin’ tonight.”

“Be careful,” he warned.  “If they catch you with him…”

“Don’t have to tell me,” was the quiet reply. 

The Alpha stepped forward, placing a hand on Brian’s shoulder.  He gave it a reassuring squeeze.  “I won’t let anyone take you away from me, Bri.”

The Omega gave him a soft smile, leaning into his touch.  “Me either, Carter.”  He’d kill to protect his Alpha.  Brian just didn’t want to have to put that theory to the test against federal agents.

Rome clapped him heavily on the back, snapping him out of his reserved attitude.  “Didn’t I tell ya you’d see ‘im again?”

The grin on Brian’s face spoke all, bringing the Beta into a sideways hug.  “Yeah man, you did.”  He smiled at Carter, feeling the warmth swelling in his chest.  He wouldn’t ever part with the man again.

~ * ~ * ~

Brian didn’t know their destination, nor did he care.  As soon as that plane left the tarmac he was grinning from ear to ear and relaxing back into his Alpha’s chest.  They were sprawled on a luxurious couch, Carter leaning against the arm while Brian stretched out the length of it to brace against him.

“I want to mark you, Bri,” came the whisper in his ear.  “When we get off the plane, I want to step out into our new lives claimed, so everyone we meet knows that you’re mine, and I’m yours.”

The blonde tilted his head, meeting Carter’s lips, humming happily.  He had to admit, he rather liked the sound of that.  “Alright, Carter,” he agreed.  Most mates would have a ceremony, even though it was mainly a formality, as the couple would engage in the actual “claiming” part in private.  It was an intimate moment, the actual bite, not meant to be shared by outsiders.

Carter shifted them so that the Omega sat up.  His eyes traveled the blonde’s neck as he straddled him on the couch.  “Where you want it?” he inquired, fingers brushing briefly over the spot that he’d marked before.  Brian’s hand grasped over his, moving it further up from the collar bone to where it would be visible when he wore tee-shirts.

“I want everyone to see your mark,” he spoke, eyes never leaving his Alpha’s.

A possessive growl left Carter’s lips.  He wanted to pounce and bite, but he held himself back, knowing he had to take it slow.  He leaned down, biting very lightly at the spot Brian had indicated before pulling back.  “There?” he questioned, making sure it was what he wanted.  There were no do-overs when it came to this.

Brian’s hand snaked across the faint indentations and grinned.  He nodded, tilting his head back to give Carter better access.  The Alpha took a deep breath, drawing his lips back to reveal all his teeth better before leaning in to bite.

The Omega gasped at the sharp pain, whimpering as it deepened.  Carter ran his hand along the other side of his neck and cheek, attempting to sooth him.  When he felt Brian relaxing into his touch, he gave one last clamp of his teeth, breaking the skin.  Brian let out a shaky breath as he pulled away, eyes meeting Carter’s but otherwise not moving from the shock to his system.

Carter pressed his hand to the new wound, trying to stem the flow of blood.  His other hand brushed the stray curls from his new mate’s face, resting on his cheek.  He smiled softly, Brian returning it as he seemed to come out of things.  He turned his head, placing a kiss on Carter’s palm.

The pair stayed quietly there for a few moments, until the bleeding had slowed and Carter started to lick lovingly at the wound.  After it stopped completely, he got up and stole a hand towel from the bathroom.  As he wiped the blood off his hand, he looked at Brian’s blissful expression, sea blue eyes filled with so much emotion that he just had to kiss him.

“My turn,” the Omega whispered softly.

Carter nodded, sitting on the couch and pulling Brian onto him.  In answer to what he knew would be asked, he took Brian’s hand and placed it exactly where the blonde’s new mark was.  “Right here, Bri,” he spoke softly.

As soon as he tilted his head back, Brian bit into his flesh, completely sure about what he was doing.  Carter sucked in a breath, and the blonde rubbed circles on his stomach, making him relax before pushing that last little bit to break the skin.  When he did, he tasted the coppery blood rushing into his mouth and he growled.

He pulled away, clamping onto the wound as Carter had for him.  The corner of the Alpha’s lips was quirked up, his eyes looking brightly back at him in a calm grey.  His hand came up, cupping Brian’s cheek, running a thumb over his cheekbone lovingly.

Brian dipped his head to lick at the little bit of blood left until it stopped flowing from the bite.  His nose nuzzled the Alpha’s throat, before coming up to give him a tender kiss. 

“I love you, Bri,” he whispered, hand falling down to the mark he’d made.

“Love you too, Carter.” 

The Omega readjusted, settling sideways into Carter’s lap.  He laid his head right by the Alpha’s new claiming mark, wrapping an arm over his other shoulder.  Carter held onto him, pulling him close.  His nose dropped into his blonde locks, nuzzling gently.

The pair drifted off to sleep, curled together.  By the time the plane landed, they were ready to face their new life, together.  Brian never thought he would be _happy_ getting claimed by an Alpha.  It seemed Carter enjoyed proving him wrong.


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

From Buenos Aires to Costa Rica, Jamaica to Haiti, western and central Europe…  It seemed Carter Verone was determined to take his newly claimed Omega anywhere and everywhere worth going.  They stayed in the nicest hotels, ate at the best restaurants, and the bombshell blonde on his arm had the world laid at his feet.

Brian had been enjoying the Americas and the Caribbean, but Europe had been overflowing with potential.  It had offered the best car scenes, and the most amazing races.  His Alpha didn’t even blink when he’d asked for a Skyline so they could cruise the continent in style.

The Omega never had to inquire where the money for their lavish lifestyle came from.  Carter on his own had been worth billions.  Combined with his father’s estate, and monies spread through several untouchable accounts, and caches of cash stashed in a few safe houses he had, they were set for life.  The Alpha was completely free, just as he’d wanted.  No more back room deals, shady contacts, or looking over his shoulder.

The pair had talked occasionally about finding a place to settle some roots, even moreso after their first year of travel.  Nothing had seemed like the right place to either of them though.  So, with almost two years down, they pretty much had resigned themselves to the nomadic lifestyle.  Though they both agreed that as long as they had each other, nothing else really mattered.

The Corinthia Hotel was their home for the time being- a luxury suite overlooking the River Thames, and the beauty of London.

The lights of the city snaked in between the curtains of the hotel room.  Carter’s hand traveled the length of his mate’s body, admiring the sight before him.  Brian was sleeping soundly, the soft sheet wrapped low around his waist, a leg hanging out.

Brian reached out to him subconsciously, and when he found him, he snuggled deeply into the Alpha’s embrace.  Carter smiled, nose nuzzling at the mate bite on the blonde’s neck, long since scared over as a permanent reminder. 

He would give Brian the world, so Carter figured he may as well start with London.

/End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Yes, if you couldn’t guess by the giant hint there at the end, I’m considering a sequel if there’s any interest in one. Make sure to check out the [companion video](http://youtu.be/ajMFiz6gU6Y) I made of the same title.
> 
> Follow me on [Tumblr](http://thedenofcaseywolfe.tumblr.com/).


End file.
